Between 2020 and 2025, Bonfire spent time rolling back the years by working on re-recording their first three studio albums and releasing a semi-unplugged one. However, they’re now back and ready to burn with the arrival of Higher Ground this Jan.
‘Nostradamus’ an instrumental intro, consists of a thunderstorm gradually building in tension with clean guitars and a choir before exploding into an epic orchestra. In the same way that a band of your dreams walks onto the stage in complete darkness before carnage unfolds, it’s the perfect soundtrack to get listeners on their feet in preparation for what’s to come.
‘I Will Rise’ is where the action begins as it bombs away and Bonfire’s inner flame is fully lit. Mid-fast tempos with some cheeky harmonies and spirited vocals bring a grin of pleasure while solos using tunnel-like effects guarantee that you won’t skip to another track. This song tells a personal account of how band founder and guitarist Hans Ziller felt “threatened, humiliated and cheated out of millions” after being fired in 1989. However, he refused to back down and came back in 1996 with lyrics depicting the resilience he used to overcome his troubles “I will rise, but barely breathing, on the edge, and I’m still holding on”.
The music video itself is extremely surreal and might illustrate what was happening inside Ziller’s head back then, replicating what it’s like to go through such a dark period and come out victorious. It starts with someone receiving CPR accompanied by the grim reader reading a passage during a zombie apocalypse only to suddenly change to the big bang shooting Ziller’s guitar to earth. It could be interpreted as once you’ve escaped turmoil, you feel reborn and a new beginning awaits.
It’s not just echoed lyrically though, as key changes between instrumental sections, verses and choruses represent different feelings. For instance, solos and bridges sound more aggressive, like the peak of an emotional crisis whereas choruses are a bit more uplifting, signalling triumph. While that itself is a clever tactic, Bonfire goes one step further and combines different music genres into one song. Each part jumps in and out of metal, hard and glam rock to match their meaning.
The title track ‘Higher Ground’ is a much more uplifting, slow-paced song that you could enjoy while chilling in your garden watching the sunset. Just like ‘I Will Rise’, it has a motivational feel to it and will make anyone who lived through the prime days of glam rock young again. Choruses in major scales full of memorable power chords are highly reminiscent of the 1980s when rebel youngsters who liked heavy music would gather in intimate venues, chain smoke and drink until they dropped. The album cover appears to further emphasise what this tune wants to evoke with a backdrop of a city burned to the ground and a lady standing atop of ‘Higher Ground’ i.e. safety achieved through never submitting to adversity.
Dyan Mair on vocals has the sort of contagious and anthemic charisma which can make even the shiest fans sing along. Whenever he hits high notes, you can feel an onslaught of passion being released and that’s all we need to enjoy a song of this type.
‘I Died Tonight’ might have a melancholic touch but a straight-forward beat at a jogging pace, epic keys and crunchy guitars kills off any chance of not dancing along. Frank Pané and Hans Ziller engage the AOR/sleaze machine as they go old-school with delightful riffs and solos so irresistible that you’d want to hear them on an old, rusty radio that’s been decaying in your garage for years. Lyrics are about struggling to deal with heartbreak and learning to let go once you’ve come to terms with reality. While there’s optimism that you can work things out, “I still believe that we can work it out”, you soon realise that it was a mistake as the warning signs of betrayal were there “I should have read between the lines”.
Tunes of this nature are nothing new to hard/glam rock and Bonfire do a wonderful job of making the most of what thought a key can trigger. B minor is the dominant key and suits the video as it shows a sad memory of a couple’s relationship where things were going well until they fell apart. Eventually, they reunite and stay together until death which matches with a major outro (another genre trademark).
‘Lost All Control’ is one of the heaviest tracks of the album and covers the topic of ‘isolation and the disconnection of reality that people with mental illness sometimes have to deal with’. Fabio Alessandrini opens fire on drums with blistering double kick hits as powerful as dynamite explosions used to demolish buildings while Hans and Frank lead the adrenaline charge. Dyan ups his game to a more aggressive tone in which his vocal phrasing gets sharper and belting is noticeably stronger, carving feelings of anguish right into our ears. Trigger warning: although the video doesn’t depict mental health patients anywhere near as realistically as films like Shutter Island, certain scenes can be quite disturbing to some.
After six energetic tracks, ‘When Love Comes Down’ comes at just the right time for a breather as Bonfire slow it right down to ballad territory, so it’s time to wave your arms with a lighter in the air while burning marshmallows around a campfire. Just like 99% of hard rock ballads, they always flirt between acoustic riffs and soft vocals before going into full power, whether it be a sing-along chorus or wicked guitar solo. This is where we get to hear Dyan show off his entire vocal range with slick transitions between calmer and heavier sections as well as side-stick techniques on drums which never disappoint when needing some rest.
Once you’ve refreshed yourself, it’s back to business as Bonfire turn the clocks back even further with lots of 70s Deep Purple vibes during ‘Fallin’. Dyan’s high-pitched parts contain plenty of shades of Ian Gillen while melodies by Frank and Hans make anyone with long hair want to untie it and headbang until going dizzy. Energetic songs are tempting to play loud and fast but can be easily overcooked, so Fabio says “leave it to me” and shows that less is more couldn’t be more applicable. The beat is simple and he cruises through it like a sound check session, allowing breathing space for other instruments and fluidity to a tune’s structure.
‘Come Hell or High Water’ reveals yet another side of Bonfire who by this point, want to showcase their versatility back to front. They go into groove metal mode with drop D tuning at slow to mid-tempos, eerie-sounding female opera backing tracks and spooky synths. Dyan’s voice gets angrier by the minute, similar to Fletcher from Whiplash as if he’s about to punch a hole through a wall, full of fury and grit. Hans and Frank meanwhile mark their territory, keen to wear their guitars down like shredded tyres with disgusting riffs followed by picture-perfect drumming from Fabio.
Such drastic changes in sound throughout an album can in most cases be off-putting and confuse listeners but thankfully, the band don’t overcomplicate it and each new song smoothly transitions into one another.
‘Jealousy’ is solid proof that Bonfire are willing to just about dip their toes into all sorts of waters because their creative risks are all paying off. The flames are now uncontrollable and putting them out requires a fire brigade as we’re treated with a blitzkrieg of classic metal. Dyan’s raw nwobhm-like vocals in the style of Harry Conklin from Cloven Hoof contain the power of cross winds diverting aircraft while some screaming guitars backed by violent beats which sound like dragsters revving at max rpm can cure anyone’s depression.
For the last two tracks, the band returned to their primary glam/hard rock sound with one of them being yet another re-recording. Thanks to a variety of subgenres characterising each and every song, this album is a solid effort from start to finish and any fatigue from repetitiveness is impossible. While the way it ends is a bit abrupt, maybe one or two more tunes would’ve been ideal. However, it could be that they decided to avoid fillers and create a climax for their next release.
Bonfire are well and truly back with Higher Ground being a clear sign that their inner flame of creativity is far from burning out.
Higher Ground was released on January 24 2025 via Frontiers Records.
