1967/ 1976
Skilled in creating a perfect mix between Hard Rock and Glam Metal, Bonfire are among the prime movers of the German scene of the 1980's to assert themselves in the masses. "Free" from 2003 is a good album if you think that Bonfire is a Glam Metal band but an excellent album if you think that Bonfire is a Hard Rock band.
The evolution of Hard Rock has created a hybrid of original Hard Rock and Heavy Metal which is extremely difficult to understand what has become the Hard Rock. Also because there are even songs written by Rock Hard Power Metal bands, and if we have to be honest, even a band like Soul Asylum is a Hard Rock band.
This is important. In fact "Free" is a 100% hybrid between Hard Rock and Glam Metal. The music is Hard Rock, the vocal part are Glam Metal and the arrangements are Glam Metal or Hard Rock, depends from the atmospheres that the band have in head song for song. And in type of music is incredible the transformation of the perception of the genre of a single song, moment after moment. "Free" (the title track) is a perfect Hard Rock song with Glam Metal refrain and solo. "I Would Anything 4 U" have a start in Van Halen field but the r5est of the song is close to AOR as "Love CCA" is a good Hard AOR due to the mix between Glam Metal and Hard Rock, theme that is the base of the songs style, at the end. It is true that the more close Hard Rock song not have connection with Heavy Metal but "Give A Little" is a simple AOR song. But you don't have to think that Bonfire is an AOR song. In my perception is Hard Rock that have its evolution in this road, today. Certainly in 1980's Bonfire was more close to Heavy Metal (glam Metal) but in 1980 that was Hard Rock. Returning to speak about "Free", the songs are not technical but remain a good songs for technique, all geared towards feeling and magic. Certainly good are the vocal parts, close to AOR or Glam Metal, depend on song or moment of song. Interesting are the guitas, not too aggressive in distorted sound and good in clean sound, also if not in evidence in the economy of the songs because used only as an element of sound, as drums and voice. this is valid also in "September On My Mind" the more Heavy Metal (but 100% Hard Rock) song in "Free", an aggressive but melodic song.
In definitive view "Free" is a good album with good songs, a good piece of Hard Rock. If for you Heavy Metal is the cild of Hard Rock "Free" is one of your album. At the same time if you think that Hard Rock isn't a genre that have strong connection with Heavy Metal, today, "Free" remain a great album. Not for case if you are a Hard Rocker "Free" is a great album and if you are Metalhead "Free" is only a good album, due to the evolution of Hard Rock. Remain the fact that Bonfire is a great band that with "free" have composed an album that not is a masterpiece but a great album.