The newest, and last, album by The Alarm. How did I not read their singer Mike Peters died of lymphoma a year ago?!?

[AZJonnie]

Man, I loved the Alarm in their heyday, even saw them a couple times around 1990. I just learned the news of his passing from a review of the new record that came out a short time ago. And it's a great review!

https://glidemagazine.com/325969/the-alarm-deliver-one-final-act-of-rock-and-roll-resistance-on-transformation-album-review/

You can hear both uncertainty and his determination to survive woven throughout the record. The optimism is obvious from the opening track, “New Life,” where he sings “100 ml of pure life blood, designed for new life… I’m crossing the line between the dead and the alive,” over a rolling bass line and drums. The early single “Live Today” is a driving, stadium-worthy anthem that would have slotted nicely onto any of their classic mid-’80s albums, with Peters defiantly singing, “I don’t want to live forever; I want to live right now.” You can hear the emotion in his vocals as they crack in the chorus. Similarly, “One In a Million” is another song that seems like it was left over from the Declaration or Strength session.

Anyways, this song from the album (the only one I've heard thus far, off to check out the remainder of the record!) is all the more poignant when you realize he literally was dying at the time.

Mike Peters

[highplainsdem]

1. Great song. And showing such a great spirit. I posted about his passing last year:

The Alarm Singer Mike Peters Dies at 66 After Long Cancer Fight
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1034143418

I hadn't known about the new album. Thanks for posting about it!

We've lost so many great artists...

[Celerity]

2. The Alarm - Unsafe Building (1981) + The Alarm - Strength (Power Mix) (1985)

The Alarm – Unsafe Building

Label: White Cross Records – none
Format: Vinyl, 7", Single
Country: UK
Released: 1 Sept 1981
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, Acoustic











The Alarm - Strength (Power Mix)

Label: I.R.S. Records – IRT 104
Format: Vinyl, 12", Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1 Sept 1985
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock

[AZJonnie]

3. I gotta lot of Alarm songs I absolutely love, but maybe my all-time fave is the Declaration closer

Yeah, it's a stadium-rocker, straight-up U2-rip, and maybe not their BEST song, but I can't help but air guitar and belt it out whenever it comes on. Both the hooks, and the guitar tone, are freaking aces.

It's never gotten famous, or really much airplay, it's not on any Best of The Alarm compilations I've seen over the years, and I have no idea why that is, because it's freaking killer. Takes me straight back to 1985!

[Celerity]

4. Great song