BONFIRE – Don’t Touch the Light (MMXXIII Version) (2023) *HQ*
Since more than 35 years, BONFIRE are the embodiment of “Melodic Hard ‘n Heavy made in Germany”. September 22, 2023 will see the band reissue their most iconic albums “Point Blank”, “Fireworks” and “Don’t Touch The Light” as MMXXIII / 2023 re-recording versions with an entirely new artwork.
As one of the group’s founding members and its main composer, Hans Ziller came up with an ambitious idea: How would the songs from those now slightly dated releases sound if they were re-recorded in contemporary studio conditions? This concept was particularly exciting because the band’s current line-up. As Ziller comments: “What we wanted to do was to record the songs as if Bonfire had been a metal band in the Eighties!”
Naturally, you need first-rate musicians for this kind of ambitious, re-recording undertaking, and that’s precisely what BONFIRE mark 2023 have: Young Greek singer DYAN has recently joined the BONFIRE fold. The 30-year-old vocalist is a big BONFIRE fan since his teens, so it was easy for him to cut all the 35 songs from the three cult albums in less than two weeks.
”Don’t Touch the Light (MMXXIII Version)” just kills!
Hans Ziller talks about the project: “What we wanted to do was to record the songs as if Bonfire had been a metal band in the eighties!” Bringing a new voice to classic songs is Dyan Mair. Ziller enthuses: “Dyan can simply sing anything, from rock vocals to falsetto. You only have to listen to him to realize that he will excel live.”
As to how true the band stayed to the original recordings, Ziller explains: “Of course, we kept to the original arrangements as much as possible, perhaps slightly changing a riff now and then or updating the sound of a guitar part. But all the essential elements, right down to the lyrics, have remained untouched.”
First off, the production is great, and the new guys do a great job on their parts.
As to rerecording old material, some may see this as an easy way to take the lesser road and rehash old songs to make a little more money off of music that’s already familiar. Others will be excited to hear all of their old favorite songs done by a fresh, younger version of Bonfire, with modern recording/production values really making the songs shine.
Either way it’s a good move for the band, and if it’s what Bonfire felt like doing for the sheer joy of it, then that’s what really matters in the end.
If you’re looking for a fresh take on an ’80s (1986) original, look to Bonfire’s ”Don’t Touch The Light MMXXIII”.
Highly Recommended
01 – The Rising (MMXXIII Version)
02 – Starin’ Eyes (MMXXIII Version)
03 – Hot to Rock (MMXXIII Version)
04 – You Make Me Feel (MMXXIII Version)
05 – Longing for You (MMXXIII Version)
06 – Don’t Touch the Light (MMXXIII Version)
07 – S.D.I. (MMXXIII Version)
08 – No More (MMXXIII Version)
09 – L.A. (MMXXIII Version)
Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/DonT-Touch-Light-Mmxxiii-Bonfire/dp/B0C12HDLQN
