Band:	Nitro
Album:	O.F.R.
Style:	Glam metal, Heavy metal
Release date:	1989
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. Freight Train
02. Double Trouble
03. Machine Gunn Eddie
04. Long Way From Home
05. Bring It Down
06. Nasty Reputation
07. Fighting Mad
08. Shot Heard Round The World
09. O.F.R.

I stumbled across this band after seeing Micheal Angelo Batio on a list of underappreciated guitarists and looked this album up to get to hear the man play. Once you listen to this album, you can truly understand why he is underappreciated, because it's hard to hang on in there to get to appreciate his skills when he has these songs as a platform. Nitro are a hybrid band that try to meld glam metal and thrash metal, two sounds that you would not think could be mixed together; once you have given O.F.R. a listen, you will realize that it is with good reason.

To address what will be the first question on your mind when you put this album on; dear god, was there a helium leak in the studio when they were doing vocals? They are too cheesy even by glam metal standards; vocalist Gillette can really hit those high notes, which seem to be his modus operandi. King Diamond is a good example of how this can work when effectively used, dropped in on occasions that call for it thus adding something to the song; for Gillette, it seems to be his go-to trick at nearly every moment, which wears out its welcome fast. The lyrics are not much to cop about, which is a blessing in disguise as they are sung through a banshee wail for most of the record. I had to genuinely read the lyrics for "Fighting Mad" as it honestly sounds like they are wailing "Viking Mad".

For an album containing Batio, the guitar sound is flat and lifeless, which wastes his talent. Only on "O.F.R." does the guitar solo get pushed to the fore and his shredding get given a clarity that makes the difference between a barrage of notes falling limply off the guitar and intricate guitar heroics. For the rest of the album the guitar is just?there; with a better mix, I'm sure Batio would be more revered than he is now.

It is on the slower tracks where the band let the music breathe and instruments stand alone from each other, allowing you to appreciate their skills. "Double Trouble" and "Nasty Reputation" are the standout tracks for this reason. The solo in "Machine Gun Eddie" is probably the best on the album, though it requires five minutes of asking yourself if they are singing "Machine Gun Eddie" or "Machine Gun Annie" in the chorus.

An album best remembered for who appeared on it rather than the music contained within, O.F.R. is an experience that you won't be repeating anytime soon. Glam metal and thrash metal? In the words of The Offspring 'You gotta keep 'em seperated'.