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Nov 2, 20222 min read

Spiritual Beggars - On Fire (2002)

FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…



On November 2, 2002, Spiritual Beggars released their fifth full-length studio album On Fire via Music for Nations/Koch.


Background:

2002 saw the release of the band's fifth studio recording, On Fire. This album featured a new line-up following the departure of original singer/bassist Christian "Spice" Sjöstrand. The replacements were vocalist Janne "JB" Christoffersson of the band Grand Magus, who had been recommended to Amott by a mutual friend, while Roger Nilsson joined to handle the bass.


On Fire was musically and vocally more melodic and saw the band delving deeper into 1970s Hard Rock for inspiration. A 2003 European tour featured Spiritual Beggars alongside Clutch, Spiritu and Dozer was completed in support of the album, which was followed by a tour of Japan with Clutch as the opening act.


Critical Reception:

In his review of “On Fire” for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia stated;

“Undergoing a major lineup change immediately following the biggest record of your career shouldn't bode well for any band, but doesn't seem to be a big problem for Sweden's Spiritual Beggars, who manage to neatly sidestep almost any transitional difficulties on 2002's On Fire. The fact that control of the group's direction and virtually all its songwriting stems from guitarist Michael Amott explains much of this, so that even the small differences that appear seem very much self-willed rather than accidental. New vocalist J.B. (formerly of Grand Magus) is coached to perfection by Amott, assimilating (but not replicating) the growling, frothing-at-the-mouth style of the departed Spice into his own, somewhat cleaner delivery, which lends greater flexibility to tracks like the radio-ready Killing Time and the oddly '70s Whitesnake-ish Fool's Gold. Injecting their Stoner Rock with generous doses of Amott's straight-up metal riffing and classically tinged soloing (natural spillage from his other project, the death metal band Arch Enemy) remains one of Spiritual Beggars' more distinctive trademarks, and along with Per Wiberg's very active organ contributions, these are brought to the very forefront on album standouts like "Black Feather," Young Man, Old Man and The Lunatic Fringe. On Fire does lose a little steam toward the end, but all things considered, consistency really should be Amott's middle name, making for yet another fine effort for Spiritual Beggars.”

About Spiritual Beggars:

Spiritual Beggars is a Stoner Metal band from Halmstad, Sweden, formed in 1993 by Michael Amott (see also; Arch Enemy, Carnage) after he left Carcass. The band is heavily influenced by 1970s Hard Rock and incorporates elements of psychedelia into its music. The band have subsequently released albums as Michael's schedule, which also includes being a full-time member of Arch Enemy, permits.



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