DYNAMITE FIRE!! FIRE BOMBER

DYNAMITE FIRE!! FIRE BOMBER

— by Keith Rhee

1. Dynamite Explosion 3:55

2. Good-bye 4:35

3. New Frontier 4:40

4. Go 4:22

5. Rock'n'Roll Fire 3:46

6. Never Say Die 3:45

7. Feel Universe 5:37

8. Ai no Mahou 4:19

(The Magic of Love)

9. Wild Life 4:16

10. Love Song 5:02

11. Hello 3:50

12. Parade 4:35

MACROSS 7 seems to be one of those shows that fans either love or hate. While dismissed by the majority of the USA contingent as being too cheesy for its collective palate, MACROSS 7 was well-received in Japan (much more so than MACROSS PLUS in fact), enough to see a four-part OVA sequel in MACROSS DYNAMITE 7.
From the sweet ballads in the original to the symphonic background music and techno/ambient-inspired vocals of MACROSS PLUS, music has always played a central theme in the MACROSS saga. Unlike the sophistication of its siblings, however, MACROSS 7 itself opted for straight ahead rock and roll, endearing itself to its fans with its "sweat on the brow, sing your heart out" music style.
This reviewer really liked the songs from MACROSS 7, and expecting more of the same, picked up Dynamite Fire without even watching MACROSS DYNAMITE 7. Unfortunately, the new album proves a bit disappointing in this regard; whereas half the songs on LET'S FIRE!! (Fire Bomber's first album) immediately captivated the heart, the same could not be said about the tracks on DYNAMITE FIRE.
Both the OP and ED tracks rate only an average. The OP, "Dynamite Fire," bursts forth with energetic guitar riffs, and a decent melody, but the chorus "Dynamite! Dynamite" gets repetitive really quick. The ED track, "Parade," suffers from the opposite problem, with a fairly generic tune leading into a great chorus.
Overall, the album seems to have acquired a harder edge; many of the songs feature heavy metal-inspired openings and wild guitar solos. But without genuinely catchy tunes to follow up, the harder-edged riffs seem like wasted effort, almost out of sync with the bland melodies that follow them. Softer pop tunes and ballads such as "Feel Universe" and "Ai no Mahou" (The Magic of Love) fare better, though even then they miss that spark that makes "Sweet Fantasy" and "Remember 16" (from LET'S FIRE!!) so enjoyable.
The album does have a few good tracks. "New Frontier," performed solo by Basara, actually manages to be energetic and catchy at the same time, and is more on par with his previous hit songs. "Hello" is a softer, slower medley, performed again by Basara with Mylene joining in the chorus. Though Mylene's lack of range becomes apparent—her singing almost fades in the background compared to Basara's stronger voice—this detracts little from what is a very enjoyable tune.
All in all, the album is not quite the stick of dynamite that its title gives hope to be. While it has a few good tunes, and half the other songs on the album do grow on the listener after a while, none of them instantly strike out as runaway smash hits, either. Best advice is for fans to watch the show and see if they like the songs first before purchasing the album.