POP STARS ***** Great Balls of Fire **** Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door *** Good Vibrations ** Maybe Baby * Ain’t That a Shame

FIREHOSE “fROMOHIO.” SST *** 1/2

Guitarist and singer Ed Crawford is, like this recording, a product of Ohio, and the San Pedro-based power trio’s third LP finds them aiming for a straight-to-the-heartland message. They balance their familiar dice ‘n’ slice, genre-leapin’ riffin’ with more straightforward song structures, ranging from the edgy “What Gets Heard” and the jittery Latino funk of “In My Mind” to the road-dog rockers “Time With You” and “Some Things” to the anthemic “The Softest Hammer.” Out of 14 songs (three of ‘em brief instrumental solos), that’s still a healthy percentage of successful experiments from one of the most original and underrated bands to come out of Southern California in the last 10 years. Shred on, dudes.