Blindside broke into the mainstream in 2002, surprising fans and critics alike with the melodically proficient "Silence". This was an album that shared very little with its predecessors beyond the fundamentals, and yet the band sounded like veterans to the more mainstream song style found throughout that album. Having settled into the hard rock format resoundingly well, "About A Burning Fire" marks the first time that Blindside haven't opted to go to extremes to reinvent themselves . That is not to say that they have fallen into a rut however, as this is an ambitious record that finds the group building upon the melodic nuances they nurtured last time out.

Blindside have become so together as a unit that when they seek outside enhancements it feels altogether unnecessary. Such is the case with Billy Corgan's altogether forgettable appearance on "Hooray, It's L.A.", as it happens to be one of the album's weakest songs, and the band are aided more by name recognition than his memorable guitar playing. On the other side of the coin, Emma Hardelin, from Scandinavian folk rockers Garnama, assists in making "Shekina" one of Blindside's strongest forays into melody yet, as her entrancing yodeling adds an emotive depth to the delicate song. With that said, the band do hint at what once was, as the brief musical excursion midway through "Where The Sun Never Dies" and the beginning of the title track harken back to their hardcore past. For the most part though these moments are just that, moments, and Blindside are prepared to move on with just as much confidence.

With "Silence", Blindside proved themselves to be remarkably adept at churning out accessible melodic hard rock songs, and "About A Burning Fire" only cements such thoughts, as it distinguishes the group as one of the upper echelon of the genre. "Eye Of the Storm", "Die Buying" and "All Of Us" serve as reminders to the listener why the band was lauded with their Elektra Records debut. While the album doesn't possess the immediacy of its predecessor, the band take the opportunity to flesh out the material with a cornucopia of sounds spanning from delicate cello and violin to a full-on trumpet solo and that is just on one track. The arrangements are more complex as well, with subtle layering that thickens and often strengthens the rock formula. It is invigorating to see a rock band that is comfortable in challenging themselves to expand the boundaries of the genre they are slumped in. Admittedly not every song is an immediate success and it is clear that the group have eased off slightly from their harder persona, yet the true wealth is found with each additional listen. With a balance between straight-forward rockers and more subtle enhancements, the band deliver on creating an album that never sounds stale or unoriginal. At this stage in the band's career they have found their niche and if nothing else, this opus proves that the fire burning inside Blindside is far from being extinguished.