Interview with Bonfire Vocalist Alexx Stahl
By Mick Michaels
Alexx Stahl: You’re welcome.
CV: Do you consider yourself a Rock ‘n Roll survivor?
AS: As the band Bonfire has been around for more than three decades now, yes we would consider ourselves as Rock 'n' Roll survivors. Everybody in the band has been in the biz for decades and does, what he did from the very first beginning of his music career, playing Rock 'n' Roll.
AS: Of course you need guts and courage to do what we do. The music biz is very hard in these days, even when we have no pandemic…and it’s not enough. You need the will to work hard and to put everything in, to be successful. Your whole life has to be aligned to your profession.
CV: Many say that the music industry lacks, among other things, integrity and have described it as a "dog eat dog," "every artist for themselves" type of world. Do you agree with such an assessment based on your experience?
AS: I would agree to such an assessment in general as the whole society acts this way nowadays. There are exceptions, but they are few…but I’m an optimist and won’t give up on mankind. All is just a result of our education in between the performance company. We have been conditioned to competitive thinking our whole lives…but that don’t mean it couldn’t ever change I believe.
AS: I definitively agree to the statement that Fistful of Fire is the heaviest Bonfire album to date…and that was the goal from the beginning. As Hans Ziller has mentioned pretty often, he always wanted to push the band into a heavier direction. Look for the Cacumen era when the band was pretty heavy. Unfortunately, they changed more and more into a softer style over the years. Since Frank, André, Ronnie and me joined the band with all our Metal backgrounds, Hans’ intention to bring more heaviness into the band was not restricted anymore. He is a big Judas Priest and Accept fan, and you can hear some of these influences now on the album.
CV: How do you see this album differently than previous Bonfire releases? What makes "Fistful of First" standout in your opinion?
AS: Fistful of Fire is heavier…it has got many great hook lines, but not as much cheesy melodies than the previous albums. Especially with our new drummer André…we were playing with new ideas during the songwriting process. And it seems it paid off as amazing reviews come in everyday.
Some journalists postulated that Fistful of Fire stands in one line with the Bonfire classic Fireworks. One of them wrote it’s even better in his opinion. Such reactions make us very proud and encourage us to go on in this way.
CV: What do you feel is the biggest dynamic change your vocals brought to the band since your debut on 2017's "Byte the Bullet?"
AS: Well, from my background, I used to be a Metal shouter before I joined Bonfire, you can hear how the dynamic changes just because of the vocals. The voice of the singer changes the overall picture of a band in general. I would state that Bonfire is no Soft Rock band anymore like in the last decades but a Hard Rock or even a Melodic Metal band now. Not only because of the vocals…but vocals play a big part of course.
CV: Time waits for no one and, unfortunately, there is a limit for us all. Do you see time as both friend and foe for a veteran band such as Bonfire?
AS: Nobody knows what the future brings. Of course we would all prefer to have bodies like teens, but we are far away to be too old to rock. Even Hans, as the oldest of us, is in great physically condition. We can go on like this for decades. And we carefully watch Keith Richards, so we know what is possible, LOL.
CV: It does seem that the longer a band is around the more impact they have on their fans. There is an undeniable connection...maybe even influence. How would you describe Bonfire's long standing connection to their fans?
AS: I think that every band that was able to survive since the good old days has a strong connection to their fans. The fans are getting older with the band. So many things in life change over decades. But when you have a constant in your life, like your favorite band that is still there after 30 or 40 years, this builds a strong connection of course. We are all Rock 'n' Roll survivors, bands and fans.
CV: Will any US dates be included on the band's upcoming tour?
AS: Well, we had already one festival show in the U.S. being set up. Another show in Canada was supposed to be played as well…but then came Corona. We hope that we can go on with touring as soon as possible. The U.S. festival is supposed to be in late summer, so hopefully it can happen. We will announce it on our website once it is confirmed definitively.
CV: A new album and a tour coming up, what else can fans expect to see from Bonfire in the coming months?
AS: Right now we postponed our tour to September ‘cause of Corona. Meanwhile we are working on new songs and other ideas. We did a live album release show on the internet, for example, a few days ago. Another show like this will follow soon...also we will play some acoustic songs there.
CV: Thank you again Alexx for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
AS: Thanks a lot for the interview Mick. To all your readers, stay healthy, and don´t forget how to rock!
Check out Bonfire at:Official: http://www.bonfire.de/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonfireofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonfireOfficial
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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