It is very cathartic to see something burning and knowing it is supposed to. That is the precise feeling that Daniel Bohn, in his song Bonfire, captures: the destruction that is an intentional precursor of a new beginning, the chaos that is controlled and turns suffering into strength.
The St. Louis artist has created something which is both ancient and futuristic, and is inspired by the mythic landscapes of Elden Ring, Dark Souls and The Witcher to give birth to his own apocalyptic soundscape. What hits you first is the density of the production itself–this is not music, it is architecture. Bohn creates towering walls of sound using crunching guitars, pounding drums and decorates them with orchestral flourishes and synth textures that seem to have been plucked out of a separate reality.
The choice to do only harsh vocals is genius. No relief, no instance of clean singing being a relief. Rather, it is the growls and screams of Bohn that are the voice of the tarnished ones he sings of: those shattered characters scraping back up out of the wreckage. It is brutally intense, yet, intentionally so.
Bohn works entirely in his home studio and displays an impressive sense of vision in his ability to combine several instruments and synths to create his dark fantasy sound. The mixing and mastering with Martin Tides exaggerates all the elements, but keeps them clear, which gives that cinematic feel of a wall of sound that makes you feel like you are witnessing something epic.
The single artwork for ‘Bonfire’ was created by his good friend Robbie Adams, adding a personal touch to the release. Bonfire is a statement in itself and a preview of artistic development. Although Bohn is moving out of his past concept albums into more personal songwriting, he is already at work on a long-playing album that is certain to push his artistic horizons further. This song shines so bright to guide the way ahead.
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