Front Row Warriors – Running Out Of Time

Front Row Warriors
Running Out Of Time
Label: ROAR
Out: July 11^th, 2025
Playing time: 49:49

Front Row Warriors from Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, were formed in 2019. Since then, the band has played with the same line-up. They are dedicated to 80s Hard Rock, with a pinch of AOR and 90s Melodic Metal thrown in for good measure. That’s the band’s sound in a nutshell. In June 2023, the debut album ‘Wheel of Fortune’ was released. The album was named ‘Hard Rock Album of the Year 2023’ by the German Rock & Pop Musicians’ Association. The follow-up, “Running Out Of Time,” will be released in July this year.

Front Row Warriors kick off with ‘Turn The Tide’ without hesitation. Singer Elkie Gee impresses right from the start with her powerful Rock voice. She doesn’t let herself be overwhelmed by the instrumental force. ‘Theory Of Mind’ is a quiet, instrumental interlude that leads into the great Metal anthem ‘The Holy’. Hard riffs and powerful guitar playing accompany the singer. At times, the keyboards are also heard in the foreground. The highlight is a very good guitar solo. ‘Cast A Spell’ is riff-driven. Speed Metal and very melodic passages alternate. The middle section is very quiet, with some acoustic guitars and keyboard tapestries. In ‘New Horizons’ we hear classic Power Metal. Here, the clear vocals are particularly dominant. I can well imagine how the fans sing along at concerts and support Elkie vocally. And once again, there is a strong guitar solo for the ears. The title song ‘Running Out Of Time’ starts as a beautiful power ballad. But later develops into the next Metal anthem. In contrast, the riffs in ‘Rise Against’ fly around our ears. This is followed by a wake-up call Metal scream from Elkie Gee. The drums boom and whip the singer forward. Hard riffs dominate ‘Don’t Think The Night Is Over’. But so do the powerful drums. As soon as Elkie’s vocals kick in, it becomes a little quieter. Every now and then she lets her voice vibrate. The refrain is accompanied by keyboards again. Ocean waves break on the beach, seagulls cry and Elkie sings with a voice that is sometimes fragile, sometimes seductive, accompanied by acoustic guitars. The ballad ‘Seems Like Paradise’ sounds as if it were recorded on a tropical island. Accompanied by a magnificent guitar solo. The sound becomes more powerful towards the end. The song ends as it began – with seagulls crying and the sound of the sea. Beautiful! The cover song ‘Heartbreaker’ is a rocking rocker. But it’s not the song by the Bee Gees / Dionne Warwick, Michael Jackson or Led Zeppelin, but by Pat Benatar. I like Pat Benatar’s song best of the three mentioned anyway. Rock belter covers rock belter. Front Row Warriors breathe new life into this 1979 Rock classic. The crowning glory of the album is the band’s eponymous anthem ‘Front Row Warriors’.

Front Row Warriors have really delivered with ‘Running Out Of Time’. Top class from the first note to the last. Of course, Elkie Gee’s vocals are the band’s flagship. For me, she is one of the best female German rock voices. But the instrumental section also does a great job. For me, this is a hot candidate for Hard Rock Album of the Year 2025.

Front Row Warriors – Heartbreaker (Pat Benatar Cover): https://youtu.be/7t37_D3fQ4s?si=i9jxpiWrcgKrJaYy

Lineup:

Elkie Gee – Vocals
Dominik Barth – Guitar
Stef Binning-Gollub – Guitar
Timo Michels – Bass
Richie Seibel – Keyboards
Jay-G – Drums

Track list:

• Turn The Tide
• Theory Of Mind
• The Holy
• Cast A Spell
• New Horizons
• Running Out Of Time
• Rise Against
• Don’t Think The Night Is Over
• Seems Like Paradise
• Heartbreaker
• Front Row Warriors