Bonfire's trademarks are and have always been deeply melodic hard rock songs, driven by captivating guitars, grooving rhythms and haunting vocal melodies. All the features that came together so perfectly on their most popular releases Fireworks (1987), Point Blank (1989) and Branded (2011) are present on their current release Temple Of Lies. Thanks to their new vocalist Alexx Stahl, who joined the fold two years ago, and a first-rate line-up on all instruments, the band's creativity explodes on Temple Of Lies and is bound to wow a younger generation of rock music fans, too. Hans Ziller: "With this line-up, we'll be able to increase the hardness level of our material whenever we feel like it. Numbers such as 'Temple Of Lies' and 'Stand Or Fall' wouldn't have been possible with previous line-ups." It's not only the occasionally tougher pace that impresses on Temple Of Lies (produced by Hans Ziller at the Flatliners Recording Studios in Ingolstadt) from the first to the very last note, but also the album's diverse high-quality songwriting in general.
"The innovation, spirit and power of Jamaican music is a constant source of creative manna for us," explains Eric Hilton of DC-based electronic band THIEVERY CORPORATION about their new album THE TEMPLE OF I & I. "On the musical map, Jamaica is an entire continent. Frankly, we could have spent a year there, soaking up the vibes in the air and the strength and resilience resonating from the people. And for us, the only way to connect with this rich source of inspiration was to work in that environment - to feel the pulse of the place."
"The innovation, spirit and power of Jamaican music is a constant source of creative manna for us," explains Eric Hilton of DC-based electronic band THIEVERY CORPORATION about their new album THE TEMPLE OF I & I. "On the musical map, Jamaica is an entire continent. Frankly, we could have spent a year there, soaking up the vibes in the air and the strength and resilience resonating from the people. And for us, the only way to connect with this rich source of inspiration was to work in that environment - to feel the pulse of the place."
Mike Keane's first album in the Royal Family & the Poor guise was done only after plenty of ups and downs in Keane's own life as well as numerous personnel shifts and incarnations, but the end results were a sometimes delicate and often enthralling combination. It's actually a combination of several different sessions, though most were overseen by Peter Hook of New Order as producer, while the backing lineup of violinist John Neesham and synth player Lita Hira resulted in a distinct, not-rock-as-such sound. The album does very much reflect its time and place throughout. While it would be pushing it a touch to say it sounds exactly like a Factory record of the time "should," the combination of electronic drums, reverbed vocals, and aural mystery on songs like "Radio Egypt" and the particularly fine "The Dawn Song" is both familiar and slightly tweaked.