The Metal Observer
I've reviewed a good many Stoner Rock/Metal albums in the past few months and to be perfectly honest, most of them have been pretty dull. I was definitely getting bored with all of the mediocre albums, but I was extremely pleased to find that FORGED IN FLAME's self-titled four song demo was anything but dull. 

The best part about this demo is the energy that these guys exude with their music. Each song is filled with monster grooves and lots of variety in the riffing. There's no doubt that the riffs here are absolutely killer. I found myself banging my head to almost every single riff these guys threw at me. Another thing that stands out is the harmony sections, which are used sparingly, but that just makes them even more effective because of the great placement within the songs. 

One thing that really surprised me was the shred solo in "A Ravens Cage." You rarely ever find that style of lead guitar in this genre, but I have to say, it's a great solo and the playing is very impressive.

As far as complaints go, the biggest flaw with this album is that it's only 4 songs, even though each song is a solid 4-5 minutes in length. My only other minor gripe is that the fourth song, "Hexa," isn't on par with the first three songs, which are all outstanding. It's still a good song though, but it keeps "Forged In Flame" from being damn near perfect. Definitely go out and get yourself a copy of this demo, and be on the lookout for more material from these guys.
9 out of 10
www.themetal-observer.com

StonerRock.com
For a demo, the CD certainly has some fancy pants design. I'm used to just seeing the band name written in sharpie on an economy-brand CDR. But I'm guessing the Cleveland, Ohio band wanted something to match the professional production job (another pleasant surprise for a demo). And the music, which is the sort of blustery riff metal that owes as much to the likes of Down and Black Label Society as they do In Flames or Lamb of God (minus the thrashy aspect). In terms of aggression and overall playing, the band has it down, but in terms of songwriting, I found their four songs a little lacking. Apart from "A Raven's Cage," there wasn't really all that much that stuck out. But it's still pretty clear the band's on their way to something, so let's check back with Forged in Flame after they've had a little more busting skulls onstage.
-John Pegoraro
www.stonerrock.com