BONFIRE – Live In Wacken (2013)
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Germans BONFIRE, one of my favorite Melodic Hard Rock bands (and one of the most influential in the genre) are recording a new studio album planned for the end of the year. In the meantime they surprise us with the thought-to-be-lost-forever recording of their performance at Wacken Open Air Festival in 1998.
This almost historical piece of music has been sonically updated with a proper mix and it’s being released as “Live In Waken”, but there’s more to enjoy here, including previously unheard material.
Having gotten their start in the mind blowing distant 1972 as Cacumen, the band only cracked a massive success in Europe -especially in their homeland Germany- and some interest in the US when they changed their name in 1986 to Bonfire. Despite numerous line-up changes including the two remaining originals in Claus Lessman on vocals and Hans Ziller on guitar for some years, the band has released some of the most incredible and respected material of the Melodic Hard Rock genre.
On the heels of the soon to be released new studio CD, the band decided to put out this live nugget “Live At Wacken” to appease the masses until it’s finished.
Even though Bonfire has released a couple live albums over the years what helps this one stand out from the others, besides being lost, is the fact that it’s a true representation of what one would expect from the band live.
Clearly taken straight from the tapes, you can hear the rawness which strengthens the powerful performances. This is pure live, no overdubs, but with a contemporary mix. The band is obviously having a great time and feeding off the crowd.
What makes “Live In Waken” so special as well is the setlist.
Containing great performances of classic tracks from their catalogue, it also features really different versions of the band’s anthems like “Sweet Obsession”, the groovy “SDI”, “Champion”, “Ready 4 Reaction”, the FM-Rock hit “Sword And Stone” (from the cult movie soundtrack ‘Shocker’) and the rarely performed live “Wake Up”, plus a unique cover of the Billy Squier classic “The Stroke”.
Additionally, the CD offers 5 previously unreleased tracks as bonus, and these come in the shape of first time ever on CD live versions of “Bells Of Freedom”, “Let Me Be Your Water” and “Black Night”, all taken from Bonfire’s acclaimed rock opera The Räuber which went sold out for several weeks in Germany after its theater premiere in 2008.
The others are the exclusive new studio track “Thank You” and a new, re-worked version of the ballad “Hold Me Now” in a beautiful semi-acoustic rendition which is worth the cost of this release alone.
“Live At Wacken” is a must have for fans of these criminally overlooked -outside Europe- Melodic Hard Rock titans.
Those unfamiliar with Bonfire’s brilliance may wish to check out first their polished studio albums aside “Live At Wacken” for no other reason than this may be a bit too ‘rough & live’, as it is direct, without studio trickery, but shows how they actually sound onstage.
Personally I think it is a fantastic recording and will likely be the closest you get to experiencing Bonfire live.
This CD Rocks ~ Strongly Recommended ~
01. Intro / Wake Up
02. Never Mind
03. Sweet Obsession
04. In Zaire
05. The Stroke
06. Sword And Stone
07. SDI
08. Drum Solo
09. American Nights
10. Ready 4 Reaction
11. Obsessive Prelude
12. Champion
13. The Räuber / Bells Of Freedom (bonus track)
14. Let Me Be Your Water (bonus track)
15. Black Night (bonus track)
16. Thank You [New Studio Track 2013] (bonus track)
17. Hold Me Now [Extended Mix 2013] (bonus track)
Claus Lessmann – vocals, guitar
Hans Ziller – lead guitars
Chris Limburg – rhythm guitars
Uwe Köhler – bass
Harry Reischmann – drums
Chris Lausmann – rhythm guitars (tracks 1‐7, 9, 10, 12)
Jürgen Wiehler – drums (tracks 1‐10, 12‐16)
BUY IT !
www.nuclearblast.de/en/products/tontraeger/cd/cd/bonfire-live-in-wacken.html
