BONFIRE – Knock Out [YesterRock digitally remastered] + extra 12″

With German Melodic Hard Rock pioneers BONFIRE fresh release ‘Legends’ featured here, some of you asked for their classic albums remastered by YesterRock specialists. Now it’s time for the underrated “Knock Out“, Bonfire’s last album from their ‘first era’.

Originally released in 1991, the overall sound & style on “Knock Out” is according to times: polished melodic rock with ‘maturity’. While many fans miss the ‘bite’ of previous albums, the sound production is logical for an early ’90s release of this ilk.
Musically, this is a very solid and melodic record with some strong tunes on it.
They open with the hard rocker ‘Streets Of Freedom’, classic ’80s Bonfire with crunchy riffs and layers of harmony vocals on the chorus.

Next they do a cover of Billy Squire’s classic ‘The Stroke’ done in a ‘Def Leppard style’ that I like a lot, followed by the catchy midtempo ‘Dirty Love’ with an Americanized sound.

There’s an inspired ballad titled ‘Rivers of Glory’ in the vein of Stryper, starting with pianos and showcasing Claus Lessmann’s vocal talents. Adding acoustics to the mix with electic guitars in a Nelson fashion we find ‘Home Babe’, a nice melodic rocker with some stellar hooks.

More early punchy Bonfire comes with the rocking ‘Down and Out’, then we have another highlight in the mid-paced melodic rocker ‘Take My Heart And Run’, and next another solid, polished rocker on ‘All We Got’.
More quality melodic rock again with an acoustic blend is ‘Fight For Love’, before closer ‘Tonmeister’ delivers nine minutes of weird passages between hard rock and acoustics which wasn’t necessary.
Due to rights arrangements the YesterRock logo doesn’t appear printed on this release arteork, but this is from their factory, remastered by resident sound engineer Tony Ubler.

As extra we have added the hard to find, out of print, vinyl only 12″ Maxi Single release “S.D.I.” from 1986, including two different versions of Bonfire’s classics ‘S.D.I.’ and ‘Starin’ Eyes’ in a Michael Wagener Special Remix, a must for collectors.

01 – Streets Of Freedom
02 – The Stroke
03 – Dirty Love
04 – Rivers Of Glory
05 – Home Babe
06 – Shake Down
07 – Hold You
08 – Down And Out
09 – Take My Heart And Run
10 – All We Got
11 – Fight For Love
12 – Tonmeister

0dayrox Extra: S.D.I. 12” Maxi-Single vinyl only
1 – S.D.I. (Michael Wagener Special Remix)
2 – Starin’ Eyes (Michael Wagener Special Remix)

Claus Lessmann – lead & backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Angel Schleifer – guitar, backing vocals
Joerg Deisinger – bass, backing vocals
Edgar Patrik – drums, percussion, backing vocals

BUY IT !
www.amazon.de/Knockout-Bonfire/dp/B001V7SG3E
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