Fire Mountain

[About the Fire Mountain track 'Moving Target']

"The drama ramps up when the organ comes in after the chorus, transforming the song into something that’s not quite country and not quite Southern rock. It’s something memorable though." - American Songwriter

Fire Mountain's All Dies Down is my favorite pure alt-country album I've heard in ages. It harkens back to the 90s glory days of the "genre," bringing to mind the guitar pop of The Gin Blossoms, the addictive low-key melodies of Whiskeytown, and the edgy jangle of R.E.M.'s more country-leaning tunes. All Dies Down isn't stuck in that era by any means, but it certainly draws deeply from the well.

Lead singer Perry Brown has an affable growl of a voice that's versatile enough to drive heartland rockers like "Factory Line" or ache through the lush balladry of "Traces." Fire Mountain's sound is a big one - restrained, but full - with ample rhythm and crisp guitar licks. There's also piano (don't worry - it doesn't push them into easy listening territories) and it's a distinctive part of their approach, woven seamlessly into the songs.

The songs are the thing though. As good as Fire Mountain is, what they offer your ears on All Dies Down is much greater than the sum of parts. Love, loss, heartache, regret, finding your place, making changes - in their bio, they say (paraphrasing) this is the lot in life of being in your mid-twenties, but I don't know anyone who can't relate to the universal emotions relayed here.

Brown is a sneaky writer, both of subtle hooks and sharp observations. Lines like "How I hung heavy on your heart" from "Anchor Iron" will slide by you so smoothly, you won't know how it got stuck in your head 3 hours later. "When I kiss you just know that I'm spitting blood" from "Factory Line" is delivered with such simmering spite, you can taste the words.


"Doing Fine" is a prime example of the understated nature of these gently delivered but powerfully received messages. With a palette heavy on grays and muted hues, the gleams of light or glimpses of shadows stand out that much more. The chorus seems simple, but simple like a Hank Williams song, forlorn and insightful.

"Traces" is my personal favorite on the album. It's a hard-hitting ballad with a sweeping chorus (with enchanting harmony vocals provided by Janet Simpson-Templin, of Delicate Cutters/Gum Creek Killers/Wooden Wand/ Teen Getaway) and it wouldn't be out of place soundtracking a somber breakup scene in some teen soap. That's not to say it's generic and schmaltzy… okay, it's a little schmaltzy, but it's so damn well-written and just unfair on an emotional level. I would have straight up wept into my cheap beer if this had come out during my college days.

There are a few rockers on the album too, but the heart of the band is most strongly shown in the quieter moments. All Dies Down is thinking man's windows-down music. It's catchy sad-bastard music. It hurts so good.

Highly recommended to fans of: Buffalo Gospel, R.E.M., Reckless Kelly, The Gin Blossoms, Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams, good music. - Farce The Music

Hometown: Troy
Members: Perry Brown, Adam Vinson, Walter Black, Bryan Segraves, Ryan Richburg
Current Album: Of the Dust (2011)
Frontman Perry Brown discusses the band’s 2009 origination in Troy: “I had written a bunch of songs and had some show opportunities come up, but I needed a band. So I rounded up my friends that played music, and we played those shows and just kept going from there.” Brown had known Richburg since childhood and all five members had become friends before they started playing music together. The band released their Daytrotter session in February and is currently working on their first LP, tentatively scheduled for a fall release. The band’s melodic roots-rock will appeal to fans of Ryan Adams. - Paste Magazine

Growing up in Georgia just across the river from Alabama, I heard your fair share of regional jokes and felt the general prejudice state lines can create, especially, for some reason, in the South. Duct tape for instance was called Alabama chrome. Weren’t they the first to secede from the union? The last to rejoin? Didn’t Neil Young lament their backward ways in a song? Didn’t Lynyrd Skynyrd strike back in a most uncouth way? Whatever the case, while on the topic of songs and singing them, some folks in Alabama know what they’re doing: Hank Williams, the father of us all, yep, straight from Alabama. Emmylou Harris, songbird extraordinaire — her too. And now a band called Fire Mountain hailing from Alabama the beautiful seems to be following suit with their first full length album, All Dies Down.
With straightforward songs holding just enough symbolism and pathos, Perry Brown and company (Adam Vinson on percussion, Walter Black on bass guitar, Ryan Richburg on electric guitar, and Bryan Segraves on the keys) plow through a folk rock repertoire reinvented with slight power pop excursions and Brown’s likeable twang. The sounds are tight with enough verve to hold your attention throughout.
The jaunty “Be Your Eyes” is relatable and friendly with it’s repeated refrain “please don’t let this pain be your eyes” and its foot tapping beat. With light hearted keyboard and convincing vocals, it rolls through a “Carolina hillside” and “county lines” into being a success as the album opener.
In one ear catching moment, the guitar lines in the barroom rocker “Factory Line” somehow alternate between Dylan’s “Neighborhood Bully” and “Hazy Shade of Winter” by the Bangles. This would be remarkable enough if it weren’t the segue for the next song “At the Seams,” a stunning ballad. The building guitar and keyboard interlude are lovable for any melancholy soul out there. It satisfies the heart with lines like “I’ve been hidden further out of sight . . . letting you take all the light”; a total winner.
Clever lines accompanied by Steve Winwood piano sounds litter “Doing Fine”: “It’s hard to hold your hand with these shaking hands that’s why I drop it all the time. Baby no one’s doing fine.” “I’ve Been Wrong” is a gentle pleasantry, recalling in its build up the nineties goodness of Buffalo Tom’s “Late at Night.” “Wired and Dying” is a fun departure with an early Rem, jangly punk presence.
The album’s ender “Moving Target” brings us back to Neil Young with some Crazy Horse guitar moments and sage wording: “Just because it’s burning doesn’t mean it’s shining bright.” The lights might have gone out in Georgia; with these boys from Alabama they’re dimmed just enough for an interesting passage. All Dies Down, full of musical substance and reflections on life’s sometimes slow fade, is one not to be quickly shelved. - The Blue Indian

All Dies Down is the debut full length release from Alabama folk-rockers Fire Mountain and follows the bands EP, Of The Dust which we featured on Beat Surrender a couple of years ago, in the intervening period the band have spent their time writing songs for All Dies Down – a number of which have appeared in demo form on the bands Soundcloud page giving a glimpse of what to expect, the recordings were finalised during late 2013 at Ol Elegante studios in Birmingham, Alabama and the resulting album is a fine collection that flows effortlessly along on a sea of sweet melodies and killer hooks – exemplified by my favourite track of the album and one of my favourites of 2014 Doing Fine.

“We tend to write a lot about life changes,” says Brown. “Our previous albums have been about changes and All Dies Down is no different. This album focuses mostly on the shift that occurs when you start to settle down in life and have to learn to get over yourself in order to live with another person.” - Beat Surrender

Not content to coast on accolades that included being named among the “12 Alabama Bands You Need to Know Now” by Paste Magazine in 2013, the Troy, Alabama quintet Fire Mountain look to justify that praise on their debut LP, All Dies Down.

Having released two EPs in 2011, Of the Dust and Liars’ Cup, those stark, rustic songs only hinted at the band’s potential. Recorded and produced by Les Nuby (Verbena, Vulture Whale), All Dies Down dramatically captures and expands the true essence of the band’s sound. Still revolving around vocalist/guitarist Perry Brown’s passionate delivery on songs like the chugging “Fortress” and the solemn duet, “Traces,” lush instrumentation spreads the album’s ten songs across a wider sonic canvas, from the jangly opener “Be Your Eyes” to the raucous groove of “Wired and Dying.”

Carolina hues and mountains
Oh, she took my breath away
Mostly from the height and not the sights

Such casual asides lessen the tautness of Brown’s lyrics. Noting All Dies Down “focuses mostly on the shift that occurs when you start to settle down in life and have to learn to get over yourself in order to live with another person,” Brown’s vocal phrasing recalls that of fellow Alabaman, Jason Isbell, namely on the uptempo “Factory Line” where he sings, “When I kiss you / Just know I’m spitting blood,” and the lonesome standout, “Doing Fine.”

The songs, playing and production on All Dies Down transform Fire Mountain’s signature mood pieces into joyous — and at times painful — paeans of change and maturity. In doing so, Fire Mountain demonstrates prior and future critical acknowledgement is truly warranted. - Bucket Full of Nails

When I first listened to All Dies Down I thought it was kind of a one note album. Over the next few weeks something kept tugging at me and trying to pull me back to listen it again. It turns out that I was wrong in my initial assessment and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I like to live by the motto “I’ll try anything two or three times, it may be an acquired taste!” The way its grown on me has been subtle but what hooked me and drew me back so that it could are the vocals. Of course that led to really paying attention to the lyrics which are, in the end, what sold me on this one.

Of course listening to this off and on over the last couple of weeks I’ve realized what didn’t catch me as well and that provides an interesting dichotomy. Take the first track, “Be Your Eyes”, with lyrics like:

Twistin’ on a line and hopin’ to unwind some pain
Let’s not keep the photographs of all the broken paths we take
Please don’t let this pain be your eyes…

which are utterly amazing. Then what, you might ask, didn’t grab me the first time? Well it’s the music itself to be perfectly honest. It’s got an “indie” vibe to it that just didn’t grab me. But then there are tracks like “Factory Line” which is perfect in its execution as far as I am concerned and I could listen to it just about any time. Of course that indie feel I mentioned is part of the heart of alt-country that I’ve never really understood. While standing on its own this album looks back at the heyday of Wilco and Whiskeytown and draws deeply from that well. While there are parts of that era that I really enjoy there’s a definite dipping in to the indie well that I don’t really feel. I know that actually admitting that makes me a Philistine but I really don’t care that much. If you’re a fan of that era then this whole album will grab you from the get go. If you’re like me it’ll take more than one listen but it’ll grow on you as it did on me. This is most definitely an album that deserves being given a chance.

Overall the songwriting carries the day on this on All Dies Down and that’s never a bad thing. Even on the tracks that harken to an era that’s not my favorite they are more than enough to have kept me coming back. This is another strong release from our buddies at This Is American Music (you should check out their catalog if you haven’t) and Fire Mountain should be damn proud of this record. - 9 Bullets

Blabber’n’Smoke got all fired up over Fire Mountain’s EP, Of The Dust, way back in 2011. Since then main man Perry brown has been posting demos via Facebook before launching a Kickstarter campaign for this album. Sadly there was a shortfall and for a while it looked as if the demos would have to suffice for the time being. A pleasant surprise then to find out that they’re the latest addition to This Is American Music‘s roster with their debut album All Dies Down. On the EP we compared them to Fleet Foxes but here they’ve taken some giant strides while expanding their scope with a chunkier, beefed up sound, the result being a fine collection of strained ballads and sparkling countrified jaunts. Singer and songwriter Perry Brown remains a fine singer with his voice a well stained husky instrument in itself while the band (Ryan Richburg, electric guitar, Walter Black, bass, Bryan Segraves, keyboards and Adam Vinson on percussion) whip up a fine storm on occasion. There’s a Springsteen like muscularity to some of the tunes with much of this down to the keyboards while the guitars alternately ripple or spark with some feedback fury thrown in.

The album kicks off in fine fashion with Be Your Eyes, a fine mid tempo piece that recalls Whiskeytown, a perfect summer song with its rippling guitars and melodic joy. Anchor Iron weighs in with a whiff of Wilco circa Summerteeth and by now it’s apparent that as a band they have stepped up a pace with the arrangement here just short of wonderful. The rhythm section is taut while a tough guitar line chops across what appears to be a vibraphone as Brown sings with an almost hoarse weariness. The song bustles towards a busy middle eight before the choppy guitar and keyboards wind it down to the end, a great song and one that I reckon would please fans of Danny and The Champions Of The World. In fact there are times throughout the album when one can imagine Fire Mountain to be working at the same coal face as Danny and his Champs. Factory Line showcases the band’s new muscle with a guitar riff descended from Secret Agent Man that mutates into a churning country rock stew with added organ swirling throughout. Brown is ferocious as he spits out the words as the band pummel on. While it’s difficult to make out what the song is about it conjures up a neon lit strip peopled with hookers and full of danger. In any case it’s grade A Americana noir.

Time for a breather with the gentle strum of At The Seams , a song that is gently energised by a softly propulsive bass and drums with rippling piano before it takes wings and flies. Doing Fine has a Stray Gators pulse beat with guitars shimmering in the background and an excellent piano solo as Brown paints a picture of ennui in a small town while Traces just about stumbles into view with a Stones’like woozy swagger, the beat just behind the guitars while Brown is joined on vocals by Janet Simpson-Templin. The outro here is majestic and does recall Jagger and Richards’ finer forays into the country genre. They cap it all with the final song, Moving Target, opening with Brown crooning over first acoustic and then electric guitar filigrees before the full band pitch in leading to an organ and feedback drenched climax. Tremendous. - Blabber N' Smoke

I'm glad that Fire Mountain found a home for its latest record, All Dies Down. You may remember I tried to get you guys to throw some money at the band a few weeks back. I was unsuccessful and the campaign didn't reach its goal. Fortunately, This Is American Music has released the record and I simply can't think of a better pairing.

All Dies Down is everything I've come to expect from Fire Mountain. Passion, a good dose of mystery, and some moody Appalachian roots. However, the band stretches itself on songs like "Factory Line" and the angular "Fortress." Fire Mountain does a beautiful job of blending indie pop elements into its roots music. This isn't gimmicky at all -- it's just a band continuing to grow. I know I'll be humming "Fortress" for quite some time to come. - Adobe and Teardrops

At first listen All Dies Down by Fire Mountain is a haunting, melodic journey. A soundtrack to the human condition…complex, flawed, true, faithful and expressive. Its songs meet each other, and say goodbye as well, each waiting to see what the next one has to offer.

While playing the record, I was admittedly doing other things. But I was drawn back to these songs over and over again, excited to hear something I may have missed. When listening to a record I ask myself two things – Do I want to listen again? And how does it make you feel? This record simply put, made me feel happy, sad, angry, all of it, and that is rare. The melodies are complex yet catchy, the lyrics heartfelt and sharp. I really enjoyed the opening song, “Be Your Eyes”, asking “Lets not keep all the photographs of the broken paths we take, Please don’t let this pain be your eyes”. “Doing Fine” is a steady, melodic tune about helping someone cope, “feel like the devil, in the midst of angels…baby no one’s doing fine”. My favorite however, is “Fortress”. A song that compares relationships and the personal demons they awaken to battle is a song I can identify with. “I can’t surrender now darling, there’ll be no armistice. Only a fool fights with a kiss”.

It is a great, great song on an album full of great songs. “All Lies Down” will make you think, and feel, and will keep drawing you back to it long after you thought you forgot about it. It is that good. - Empty Bottles and Broken Souls

Fire Mountain’s debut full-length All Dies Down came out on TIAM on 20th of May and it has been on my playlist ever since. All Dies Down is a damn fine americana release. The title might seem a little hopeless, but this is not just doom and gloom. This thing actually holds a lot of beauty inside. These southern folk rockers certainly have a certain pop sensibility as well. This is Doing Fine from Fire Mountain’s new album. - One Chord to Another

This Alabama-based five-piece released a six-track EP (Of The Dust) back in 2011/12 that impressed many of the critics but didn't quite get to me in the same way, sounding a little under-nourished I guess. Perhaps it's the fact that they get the chance to stretch out a bit more on this full-length collection, or it might be that the intervening couple of years have seen a shift in my own musical sensibilities, but I find this set pretty convincing, altogether more so in general, although on first play it seems to sprawl rather than cohere, at least in terms of sharpening the band's influences into a more consistent vision.

A few plays later however, and it all begins to gel quite nicely, with the band's lead songwriter and guitarist Perry Brown's increased confidence and maturity showing through in his lyrics - heartfelt portraits of the eternal human journey of life, love and faith that focus on the process of settling down. These are ably complemented by the band's taut and well-considered musical settings, which stride purposefully across the plains of Americana taking in driving southern rock (Wired And Dying) through to the decidedly Springsteen-esque Factory Line via slow-burning country (At The Seams) and a rolling acoustic finale that builds anthemically (Moving Target).

The band sound is muscular, full and satisfying, with prominent electric guitar lines and busy yet tightly coordinated keyboard fills and a convincing corporate identity. Although there's not much (if anything really) to criticise, however, some Americana lovers may find the overall feel of Fire Mountain just a touch derivative until, a few plays in and with careful aural scrutiny of the lyrics, the band's music starts to fall into a natural place within your consciousness. - Fatea Magazine