Bonfire - Fistful Of Fire album review

Bonfire - Fistful Of Fire

Album review by; DeeDee

Hans Ziller is the founding father of Bonfire, the heavy metal band he formed in his native Germany in 1972 went by the name of Cacumen, but after following advice from his record company, he changed the name to Bonfire in 1986. Since then the band have produced a mass of albums, this is the 17th studio one, but there are half a dozen live ones and another 6 or more compilations. Of course there have been several line up changes during their long history, but it was the addition of vocalist Alexx Stahl in 2017, that has seen the spotlight turn heavily on Bonfire. After touring with Judas Priest, Ziller always knew they were able to toughen up and be more than just another melodic hard rock band. So after all this time and with so many songs under their belts, do Bonfire still possess the ability to fuel the flames and strike us with their music?

Following the excellent 2018 album ‘Temple Of Lies’ it seems the creative juices are in full flow. ‘The Joker’ heralds the start of ‘Fistful Of Fire’ it’s one of three instrumental introductions and is almost classical in design. Gentle swaying and sweeping waves of gorgeous guitar lead straight into ‘Gotta Get Away’, which is five and a half minutes of strut rock brilliance. The rhythm holds throughout in an easy, melodic direction and the backing of Andre Hilgers on drums, makes it a solidifying tune. Track three ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ races in with a mass of hard driven emissions. I love it; the hook adheres to your brain so you wake up with it in your head. Shredding guitar from Mr Ziller and Frank Pane are abundant and precise, only matched by the harmonies and that chorus to end all choruses. This second single is immaculate. ‘Ride The Blade’ is another with a fabulous melody. It just swims, the flowing pace is rapid and the lyrics dominate. There’s a remarkable guitar solo and stacks of underlining bass by way of American recruit Ronnie Parkes.

By the time we reach track five, we hear a power ballad ‘When An Old Man Cries’. Screaming guitar strings and deeper vocals, that let us appreciate the reason Stahl came to be chosen. Moody and blissfully intoxicating, it just gathers strength to make it one of the best numbers on the album. The first single to be released was ‘Rock N Roll Survivors’ maybe a hint of how Bonfire have maintained to be one of Germany’s top heavy rock outfits, for the last 35 years or so. It also has a classical, even operatic feel and sweeps along while zooming in and out of focus. My head is nodding to this one. The introduction titled ‘Fire Etude’ smacks you, like when you first heard Eddie Van Halen with Eruption. It’s only 1.22 minutes long, but technically perfect. It leads directly into ‘Breaking Out’ which carries on with the wildness and uplifting energy of this album, thunderous and captivating stuff.

Title song ‘Fistful Of Fire’ is a message concerning the damage the human race is having on the world. Ziller is quoted as saying, “We simply mustn’t leave a planet to our children that’s no longer worth living on.” A more poignant track, with a slower and demanding tone. It is a heavy thud, rather than a delicate melody. Lots of guitar and I sense a little of Skid Row’s ‘Monkey Business’ mid way, not sure if that was deliberate or not. However, it’s a fine song, although not the strongest on the album. Another Instrumental intro ‘The Surge’ is spooky and creepy; it has a menacing sound, evil and utterly delightful. ‘Gloryland’ is packed with more fret racing and the vocals reach higher levels. It has a clean chorus and brings us to the last track which is an acoustic version of the earlier ‘When An Old Man Cries’, which is a nice way to end.

Well, to be honest, I hadn’t listened to Bonfire for a number of years, probably not since David Reece held the mic. So what a pleasant surprise this album has been, really well contrived and it lifts the spirits extensively. An imaginative follow up to ‘Temple Of Lies’, which I had to add to my collection, after hearing the amazing vocals of Alexx Stahl.

4.5/5

Tracklist;

The Joker *

Gotta Get Away *

The Devil Made Me Do It *

Ride The Blade *

When An Old Man Cries *

Rock´n`Roll Survivors *

Fire And Ice *

Warrior *

Fire Etude *

Breaking Out *