Bonfire (band)
Encyclopedia
Bonfire is a German
heavy metal
band, founded in Ingolstadt, Germany in 1972. Bonfire has a unique history. Currently there are two bands who have held the name. The original group started out as Cacumen, became Bonfire and ended in 2011 as Charade. The second group began as Lessmann/Ziller, evolved into Ex and then purchased the rights to the Bonfire name, which they have used ever since.
, put together a rock band called Cacumen with his guitarist brother Karl and gathered a bunch of friends to complete the band. The name of the group was taken from a school test Hans had done and it translates from Latin as "the top of a mountain". For the next six years, the band played in small local venues, but formed a fan base in their hometown. In 1978, the group consisted of Hans and Karl on guitars, Horst Maier on guitar (in 1983, Maier's last name would become Maier-Thorn), Hans Hauptmann on bass and Hans Forstner on drums. When the band started searching for a replacement singer, Claus Lessmann
, a fellow student of Hans', was hired.
Lessmann previously had performed in the bands Ginger and Sunset and was known for his harmonic vocals and he fit in perfectly with Cacumen. With this line-up, the band had a chance to start branching out to venues outside Ingolstadt. The band recorded a single in 1979 called "Riding Away
", which featured the song "Wintertale" on the flip side. The group used this opportunity to begin touring in clubs, schools and even in parking lots. The fan base grew and Cacumen was finally signed to an independent label. By then though, Karl Ziller had departed the group. The self-titled Cacumen
album was released in 1981 and featured a new version of "Riding Away".
Eventually, Cacumen got in contact with Hanns Schmidt-Theissen, who owned a small music studio. Schmidt-Theissen had played with the group on the "Riding Away" single and was supporting the band at live venues on keyboards. Since money was poor and Schmidt-Theissen was willing to help, they recorded the album Bad Widow
at his studio in Rodgau
, Germany in 1982. Schmidt-Theissen tried to help the group to get a contract, but was not successful at the time.
Meanwhile, the fan base of the band was growing as was the number of performance dates. In 1983, Robert Prskalowicz replaced Hans Hauptmann on bass and this group became the best-known Cacumen formation, but when they signed with BMG, the group had had a total make-over. Prskalowicz and Hans Forstner were no longer with the group as of March 1985. They departed because they could not commit to the group full time and were replaced with Joerg Deisinger
on bass, previously from Rascal and Dynasty, while Dominik Hülshorst from Darxon became the new drummer. The band updated also their image, donning the standard look of an 80s hard rock group. Finally, the company requested a name change, as they found Cacumen was too hard for the average customer to pronounce and not a very marketable name. After a brain storming session, the new name selected was Bonfire, which came into effect in May 1986.
. During the recording of the follow-up album in May 1987, Hülshorst was fired due to musical differences and Bonfire proceeded to release their Gold seller album Fireworks
as a quartet, with the drums played by Ken Mary
from the American heavy metal
band Fifth Angel
. Two versions of this album exist, the worldwide version and the North American version, which cover features the four members and contains the song "You Make Me Feel" from the first album.
Between the second and third albums, Bonfire went through many changes. Although Tommy Wagner filled the drum kit for a TV spot, the band needed a new full-time drummer, which appeared in December 1987, when Edgar Patrik from Sinner
, Samson
and Tyran Pace joined. In July 1988, during the Fireworks Tour, Maier had to leave due to his rheumatism
becoming too much of a crippling factor to play guitar and be on stage. Taking his spot in August was Angel Schleifer, formerly of Doc Savage, Red Alert, Sinner
, Mad Max, Pretty Maids
and Helter Skelter. The tour went on and once it was completed, the band settled down to collaborate for a new album. It was then that Hans Ziller had problems with the record company and the band's management due in part to his family commitments at the time. Against the band's better decisions, he was fired from the group for not having his focus on the band and in June 1989 and Bonfire carried on as a quartet. It should be noted that Bonfire's first two albums were the only ones that were released commercially in North America.
Despite the business decision, Lessmann and Ziller maintained a great friendship. When Ziller formed his own group, Lessmann was asked to write songs as well as perform vocals. The record company's policy did not allow him to do so, leaving Ziller the task to find a replacement singer for his new band, EZ Livin'.
The decision to remove Ziller from Bonfire began to show on Lessmann, who had remained in the band. After many attempts to break through in the North American scene and what he thought was a disappointing fourth album, Lessmann left the band on September 25, 1992. His announcement was not a total shock to the rest of the band, but it did leave them with the dilemma of who would take his place. One vocalist that had the group's attention was Michael Bormann
, who was singing for Letter X and had his own side-group called Jaded Heart. Moreover, he was previously in High Voltage and the J.R. Blackmore Group. Even though he was willing to sing with Bonfire, he was committed to his other two projects so the group continued looking. The unsuccessful attempt to find a full-time vocalist led to Bormann becoming the new frontman of Bonfire in March 1993. Although he did leave Letter X, he maintained his band Jaded Heart.
Despite the new singer, Bonfire were in a rut now. Their record company refused to release any new material that did not have Lessmann singing and the years of grunge
music had started. The band felt that the end was in sight and released a live album featuring concert recordings from the Point Blank Tour with Lessmann on vocals. The album Bormann had sung on was shelved (but later released as a bootleg called Bonfire - End of an Era Demos) and Bonfire performed for the last time on July 29, 1994 without officially breaking up.
Glaub Dran
. The EP was followed by a few single releases of songs that were not on the initial recording. The project had limited success, not as was initially expected. In 1995, Lessmann/Ziller evolved to become a group called Ex, which in May featured Joerg Deisinger on bass and Dominik Hülshorst on drums, almost a reunion of the 1986 Bonfire line-up. EX was a good band, but Lensmann and Ziller realized that the only means of recapturing their old fan base was under the name Bonfire.
and British Steel; and finally Jurgen Wiehler on drums, who had played with Backdoor Affair, Heaven Sent, Chain Reaction, Loud & Proud, EZ Livin', Parish Garden, Wet Paint and 88 Crash.
Also in 1997, Michael Bormann and Angel Schleifer got back together and wanted to release the shelved Bonfire album they had recorded in 1993. Joerg Deisinger was not interested and Edgar Patrik had other commitments, so the reunion was only for the duo composed by Bormann and Schleifer. Because of the change of ownership for the Bonfire name, Bormann and Schleifer decided to call themselves Charade. The shelved album was released in 1998 in Japan, becoming a highly sought after CD. The duo continue to work together to this day.
In 2006, Bonfire celebrated their 20th anniversary with Chris Limburg from Vice, Wet Paint and Lustfinger in the role of co-guitarist. In 2008, Bonfire released a rock opera
album called The Räuber
. A special DVD of the opera performance that also featured new music videos of several of the songs from the album was released soon afterwards, including a remixed version of the song "You Make Me Feel". The new version of the song is featured on the PlayStation
game SingStar
.
2009 saw the return of yet another original member of Bonfire. Jürgen Wiehler left the band unexpectedly and was replaced with the returning Dominik Hülshorst on January 15. This was followed by the long anticipated return to the North American stage as the band performed at the Rocklahoma
Festival on July 12 in Pryor, Oklahoma, USA. In 2010, on March 25, Bonfire signed to a major label again, this time with Universal Music
, with hopes that they will be handled and promoted much better than BMG did in the 1980s. Unfortunately this partnership lasted just a few months.
In 2011, the band released Branded as a studio album, which was followed up with a complete live performance release of their 1987 album, Fireworks, the release being titled Fireworks Still Alive. There was however a down side in this year. Charade (Michael Bormann and Angel Schleifer), the group that carried on from the 1980s version of Bonfire, dissolved their partnership officially in May.
from 1978 to the present.
Joerg Deisinger had played on the 1989 album, entitled Wild Obsession
, by Axel Rudi Pell
.
Claus Lessmann was planned to be the lead singer of EZ Livin' while still maintaining membership in Bonfire in 1990. Problems arose and he stayed with Bonfire, but he recorded some demos, which appeared on Bonfire - The Early Days Part 4.
Michael Bormann, when he joined Bonfire in 1993, maintained his membership in Jaded Heart. When Charade was put together, he was still with Jaded Heart, but has been involved with other projects since then. The Sygnet was put together in 1997 and lasted until 2000. He has been releasing solo material since 2002 and created the band known as Rain in 1997, which apparently disbanded by 2008. He has also been in Biss (2002–2004), 20th Century Boys (2004), Zeno
(2005–present), The Trophey (2006–present), Bloodbound
(2007), Redrum
(2004–present) and Idea (2003–present).
Angel Schleifer, since Charade came into existence, was part of Sabu until 1998. This band reunited in 2003, but nothing came of it, although he and Paul Sabu
have been working together. He was also involved with Demon Drive until 2001 and has contributed to the Voices of Rock project by Chris Lausmann and Michael Voss.
Chris Lausmann's former band, Frontline, reunited in 2000. He stayed with them until 2002. He also had a project with Frontline vocalist Stephen Kaemmerer called Revolution, but nothing came of that. He is currently involved with Michael Voss in a project called Voices of Rock, which showcases various lead vocalists to sing individual songs written by the duo.
Uwe Köhler joined Affair in 1999 and the group released an album in 2002. News from the band's website states a new album is in the works with a new membership line-up. It is unknown if Köhler is still a member.
Jürgen Wiehler has been in the punk-rock band known as Lustfinger since 2002. He also was listed as a member of The Scovilles (2004–2008) and a member of the industrial metal
band Megaherz
since 2007.
Since rejoining the band, Dominik Hülshorst is involved with Faro, Seelenbrand, Volt and BrunoRock.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, founded in Ingolstadt, Germany in 1972. Bonfire has a unique history. Currently there are two bands who have held the name. The original group started out as Cacumen, became Bonfire and ended in 2011 as Charade. The second group began as Lessmann/Ziller, evolved into Ex and then purchased the rights to the Bonfire name, which they have used ever since.
Cacumen (1972-1986)
In 1972, in the West German town of Ingolstadt the teenaged guitarist Hans ZillerHans Ziller
Hans Ziller is the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and primary composer of the German 1980s melodic hard rock band Bonfire. He founded the band called Cacumen as a teenager in 1972. He has appeared on all of the band's albums, except Knock Out...
, put together a rock band called Cacumen with his guitarist brother Karl and gathered a bunch of friends to complete the band. The name of the group was taken from a school test Hans had done and it translates from Latin as "the top of a mountain". For the next six years, the band played in small local venues, but formed a fan base in their hometown. In 1978, the group consisted of Hans and Karl on guitars, Horst Maier on guitar (in 1983, Maier's last name would become Maier-Thorn), Hans Hauptmann on bass and Hans Forstner on drums. When the band started searching for a replacement singer, Claus Lessmann
Claus Lessmann
Claus Leßmann is the lead singer and guitarist of the German heavy metal band Bonfire. He is the only member and the only singer of Bonfire to have appeared on all of the band's albums. Leßmann is also one of the only remaining original members of the band, the other being lead guitarist Hans Ziller...
, a fellow student of Hans', was hired.
Lessmann previously had performed in the bands Ginger and Sunset and was known for his harmonic vocals and he fit in perfectly with Cacumen. With this line-up, the band had a chance to start branching out to venues outside Ingolstadt. The band recorded a single in 1979 called "Riding Away
Riding away
"Riding Away" is the first single released by the German hard rock band Cacumen which would evolve into Bonfire. This is also the band's first release. In 2002/2003, Claus Lessmann and Hans Ziller purchased the rights to the Cacumen material and re-released the collection under the Bonfire name...
", which featured the song "Wintertale" on the flip side. The group used this opportunity to begin touring in clubs, schools and even in parking lots. The fan base grew and Cacumen was finally signed to an independent label. By then though, Karl Ziller had departed the group. The self-titled Cacumen
Cacumen (album)
Cacumen is the first full length album by the hard rock band Cacumen. It was released in 1981 on the independent label Rockport Records. The album came out after their single, Riding Away, was released two years prior and features a new version of that song. Cacumen would rename themselves...
album was released in 1981 and featured a new version of "Riding Away".
Eventually, Cacumen got in contact with Hanns Schmidt-Theissen, who owned a small music studio. Schmidt-Theissen had played with the group on the "Riding Away" single and was supporting the band at live venues on keyboards. Since money was poor and Schmidt-Theissen was willing to help, they recorded the album Bad Widow
Bad Widow
-Band members:*Claus Lessmann - lead vocals*Hans Ziller - lead & rhythm guitar, talkbox*Horst Maier - lead & rhythm guitar*Robert Prskalowicz - bass*Hans Forstner - drums-Covers:...
at his studio in Rodgau
Rodgau
Rodgau is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It lies southeast of Frankfurt am Main in the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and has the greatest population of any municipality in the Offenbach district...
, Germany in 1982. Schmidt-Theissen tried to help the group to get a contract, but was not successful at the time.
Meanwhile, the fan base of the band was growing as was the number of performance dates. In 1983, Robert Prskalowicz replaced Hans Hauptmann on bass and this group became the best-known Cacumen formation, but when they signed with BMG, the group had had a total make-over. Prskalowicz and Hans Forstner were no longer with the group as of March 1985. They departed because they could not commit to the group full time and were replaced with Joerg Deisinger
Joerg Deisinger
Joerg Deisinger is the former bassist and a founding member of the German ‘80s melodic rock band, Bonfire.- Early Life and Bonfire :Deisinger was born in Nuremberg, Germany on April 23, 1966. His pre-teen obsession with learning how to play guitar eventually became a full fledged pursuit of...
on bass, previously from Rascal and Dynasty, while Dominik Hülshorst from Darxon became the new drummer. The band updated also their image, donning the standard look of an 80s hard rock group. Finally, the company requested a name change, as they found Cacumen was too hard for the average customer to pronounce and not a very marketable name. After a brain storming session, the new name selected was Bonfire, which came into effect in May 1986.
Bonfire, the first coming (1986-1994)
Bonfire's worldwide debut album was released in June 1986 with the title Don't Touch the LightDon't Touch the Light
Don't Touch the Light is the first album by the hard rock band Bonfire after the band changed its name from Cacumen. It was released in 1986 on RCA Records.-Track listing:-Band members:*Claus Lessmann - lead & backing vocals...
. During the recording of the follow-up album in May 1987, Hülshorst was fired due to musical differences and Bonfire proceeded to release their Gold seller album Fireworks
Fireworks (Bonfire album)
Fireworks is the second album by the hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 1987 on the label BMG International with two different covers, the worldwide one had a patterned similar to a decorated vault door while the North American version was simply four pictures of each band member in each...
as a quartet, with the drums played by Ken Mary
Ken Mary
Ken Mary is a heavy metal drummer known for having played in many groups such as Accept, Fifth Angel, Chastain, TKO, Impellitteri, House of Lords, Bonfire and Alice Cooper...
from the American heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Fifth Angel
Fifth Angel
Fifth Angel is an American heavy metal/ power metal band from Bellevue, Washington.-Biography:Fifth Angel was formed in the suburbs of Seattle in late 1983, specifically, in the Bellevue area...
. Two versions of this album exist, the worldwide version and the North American version, which cover features the four members and contains the song "You Make Me Feel" from the first album.
Between the second and third albums, Bonfire went through many changes. Although Tommy Wagner filled the drum kit for a TV spot, the band needed a new full-time drummer, which appeared in December 1987, when Edgar Patrik from Sinner
Sinner (band)
Sinner are a German heavy metal band formed by vocalist and bassist Mat Sinner in 1982 . They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene. Their latest album, One Bullet Left, was released in 2011.-History:...
, Samson
Samson (band)
Samson was a British hard rock band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as "Bruce Bruce", and drummer Thunderstick , who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a...
and Tyran Pace joined. In July 1988, during the Fireworks Tour, Maier had to leave due to his rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
becoming too much of a crippling factor to play guitar and be on stage. Taking his spot in August was Angel Schleifer, formerly of Doc Savage, Red Alert, Sinner
Sinner (band)
Sinner are a German heavy metal band formed by vocalist and bassist Mat Sinner in 1982 . They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene. Their latest album, One Bullet Left, was released in 2011.-History:...
, Mad Max, Pretty Maids
Pretty Maids
Pretty Maids are a Danish heavy metal band from Horsens, Denmark. Formed in 1981 by Ronnie Atkins and Ken Hammer. Their sound and music can be described as classic guitar-laden heavy rock with a strong emphasis on melodic elements like vocals and keyboards....
and Helter Skelter. The tour went on and once it was completed, the band settled down to collaborate for a new album. It was then that Hans Ziller had problems with the record company and the band's management due in part to his family commitments at the time. Against the band's better decisions, he was fired from the group for not having his focus on the band and in June 1989 and Bonfire carried on as a quartet. It should be noted that Bonfire's first two albums were the only ones that were released commercially in North America.
Despite the business decision, Lessmann and Ziller maintained a great friendship. When Ziller formed his own group, Lessmann was asked to write songs as well as perform vocals. The record company's policy did not allow him to do so, leaving Ziller the task to find a replacement singer for his new band, EZ Livin'.
The decision to remove Ziller from Bonfire began to show on Lessmann, who had remained in the band. After many attempts to break through in the North American scene and what he thought was a disappointing fourth album, Lessmann left the band on September 25, 1992. His announcement was not a total shock to the rest of the band, but it did leave them with the dilemma of who would take his place. One vocalist that had the group's attention was Michael Bormann
Michael Bormann
Michael Bormann is a German vocalist. Since the first recording he had made with a band, he has been involved with several groups as their lead vocalist, having accepted contracts to record his vocals on albums rather than being a full time member of the bands...
, who was singing for Letter X and had his own side-group called Jaded Heart. Moreover, he was previously in High Voltage and the J.R. Blackmore Group. Even though he was willing to sing with Bonfire, he was committed to his other two projects so the group continued looking. The unsuccessful attempt to find a full-time vocalist led to Bormann becoming the new frontman of Bonfire in March 1993. Although he did leave Letter X, he maintained his band Jaded Heart.
Despite the new singer, Bonfire were in a rut now. Their record company refused to release any new material that did not have Lessmann singing and the years of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
music had started. The band felt that the end was in sight and released a live album featuring concert recordings from the Point Blank Tour with Lessmann on vocals. The album Bormann had sung on was shelved (but later released as a bootleg called Bonfire - End of an Era Demos) and Bonfire performed for the last time on July 29, 1994 without officially breaking up.
Claus & Hans - Lessmann/Ziller to Ex (1992-1996)
While Bonfire was trying to carry on with their new lead vocalist, Lessmann and Ziller reunited in 1992 to form the project Lessmann/Ziller, after Hans Ziller had disbanded EZ Livin'. In 1993, they released the German sung EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Glaub Dran
Glaub Dran
Glaub Dran is the only album by the duo known as Lessmann/Ziller. It was released in 1993 on the label BMG International and featured the reunion of Claus Lessmann and Hans Ziller in musical partnership. The entire album is performed in German...
. The EP was followed by a few single releases of songs that were not on the initial recording. The project had limited success, not as was initially expected. In 1995, Lessmann/Ziller evolved to become a group called Ex, which in May featured Joerg Deisinger on bass and Dominik Hülshorst on drums, almost a reunion of the 1986 Bonfire line-up. EX was a good band, but Lensmann and Ziller realized that the only means of recapturing their old fan base was under the name Bonfire.
The Return of Bonfire - Charade emerges (1996-2000)
In 1996, Lessmann and Ziller decided to start legal proceedings to get the rights to the Bonfire name as well as to the music from 1986 to 1992. On July 3, a one-time payment was made to the last Bonfire members of 1994 and Lensmann and Ziller renamed their Ex project to Bonfire. The second coming began with the reissue of Glaub Dran with other songs in English in 1996. In 1997 they hired Chris Lausmann on guitar and keyboards, who had played with Affair and Frontline; Uwe Kohler on bass, formally from Black Tears, Paradise Leaf, Big Apple, Lipstikk, BlitzkriegBlitzkrieg (band)
Blitzkrieg are a heavy metal band from Leicester formed in 1980, consisting of Brian Ross , Ken Johnson , Guy Laverick , Paul Brewis and Phil Brewis ....
and British Steel; and finally Jurgen Wiehler on drums, who had played with Backdoor Affair, Heaven Sent, Chain Reaction, Loud & Proud, EZ Livin', Parish Garden, Wet Paint and 88 Crash.
Also in 1997, Michael Bormann and Angel Schleifer got back together and wanted to release the shelved Bonfire album they had recorded in 1993. Joerg Deisinger was not interested and Edgar Patrik had other commitments, so the reunion was only for the duo composed by Bormann and Schleifer. Because of the change of ownership for the Bonfire name, Bormann and Schleifer decided to call themselves Charade. The shelved album was released in 1998 in Japan, becoming a highly sought after CD. The duo continue to work together to this day.
World-wide exposure (2001–present)
Since 1996, Bonfire has released at least one album a year and their fan base has grown, surpassing their 1980s popularity. In 2002, Lausmann left the group, but that did not stop the band. In 2004, after successfully gaining the rights to their pre-Bonfire material, the band released a five-part CD series called The Early Days. Parts 1, 2 and 3 were the reissuing of the Cacumen albums, part 4 was the EZ Livin' album and part 5 was the Lessmann/Ziller album, every one of them featuring bonus material.In 2006, Bonfire celebrated their 20th anniversary with Chris Limburg from Vice, Wet Paint and Lustfinger in the role of co-guitarist. In 2008, Bonfire released a rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
album called The Räuber
The Räuber
The Räuber is the eleventh album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2008 by LZ Records. The band collaborated with P.W. Politz to create a rock opera called The Räuber that debuted in Ingolstadt, Germany, in March 2008. The opera itself featured the band performing all the...
. A special DVD of the opera performance that also featured new music videos of several of the songs from the album was released soon afterwards, including a remixed version of the song "You Make Me Feel". The new version of the song is featured on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game SingStar
SingStar
SingStar is a competitive music video game series for PlayStation consoles, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. 23 English-language instalments of the series have been released for the PlayStation 2, and six versions for the PlayStation 3 have been released...
.
2009 saw the return of yet another original member of Bonfire. Jürgen Wiehler left the band unexpectedly and was replaced with the returning Dominik Hülshorst on January 15. This was followed by the long anticipated return to the North American stage as the band performed at the Rocklahoma
Rocklahoma
Rocklahoma is an annual hard rock music festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma...
Festival on July 12 in Pryor, Oklahoma, USA. In 2010, on March 25, Bonfire signed to a major label again, this time with Universal Music
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, with hopes that they will be handled and promoted much better than BMG did in the 1980s. Unfortunately this partnership lasted just a few months.
In 2011, the band released Branded as a studio album, which was followed up with a complete live performance release of their 1987 album, Fireworks, the release being titled Fireworks Still Alive. There was however a down side in this year. Charade (Michael Bormann and Angel Schleifer), the group that carried on from the 1980s version of Bonfire, dissolved their partnership officially in May.
Current members
- Claus LessmannClaus LessmannClaus Leßmann is the lead singer and guitarist of the German heavy metal band Bonfire. He is the only member and the only singer of Bonfire to have appeared on all of the band's albums. Leßmann is also one of the only remaining original members of the band, the other being lead guitarist Hans Ziller...
- lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitars, bass, rhythm guitars (1978–1992, 1992–present) - Hans ZillerHans ZillerHans Ziller is the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and primary composer of the German 1980s melodic hard rock band Bonfire. He founded the band called Cacumen as a teenager in 1972. He has appeared on all of the band's albums, except Knock Out...
- lead guitar, rhythm guitar, talkbox, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, sitar, slide guitar (1972–1989, 1992–present) - Chris Limburg - guitars (2006–present)
- Uwe Köhler - bass, backing vocals (1997–present)
- Dominik Hülshorst - drums (1986–1987; 2009–present)
Charade
- Michael BormannMichael BormannMichael Bormann is a German vocalist. Since the first recording he had made with a band, he has been involved with several groups as their lead vocalist, having accepted contracts to record his vocals on albums rather than being a full time member of the bands...
- lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1997–present) - Angel Schleifer - lead guitar, keyboards, programming (1997–present)
Former Members of Bonfire/Cacumen
- Karl Ziller - guitars (1972–1980)
- Hanns Schmidt-Theißen - keyboards (circa 1977-1980)
- Hans Hauptmann - bass (circa 1972-1982)
- Hans Forstner - drums (circa 1972-1986)
- Robert Prskalowicz - bass (1982–1986)
- Horst Maier-Thorn - lead guitars, rhythm guitars, backing vocals (circa 1972-1988)
- Michael Bormann - lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1993–1994)
- Angel Schleifer - lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals (1988–1994)
- Joerg DeisingerJoerg DeisingerJoerg Deisinger is the former bassist and a founding member of the German ‘80s melodic rock band, Bonfire.- Early Life and Bonfire :Deisinger was born in Nuremberg, Germany on April 23, 1966. His pre-teen obsession with learning how to play guitar eventually became a full fledged pursuit of...
- bass, backing vocals, mouth drums (1986–1994) - Edgar Patrik - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1987–1994)
- Chris Lausmann - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1992–2002)
- Jürgen Wiehler - drums, percussion, backing vocals (1997–2009)
Line-Ups
The following is a chronology of the various band members of BonfireBonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
from 1978 to the present.
| (1978–1980) | CACUMEN
|
|---|---|
| (1980–1982) |
CACUMEN
|
| (1982–1985) |
CACUMEN
|
| (1985-May 1987) |
CACUMEN/BONFIRE
|
| (May 1987-December 1987) |
BONFIRE
|
| (December 1987-July 1988) |
BONFIRE
|
| (August 1988-June 1989) |
BONFIRE
|
| (June 1989-September 25, 1992) |
BONFIRE
|
| (September 25, 1992/March 1993-July 29, 1994) |
BONFIRE
LESSMANN/ZILLER
|
| (July 29, 1994-May 1995) |
LESSMANN/ZILLER and EX
|
| (May 1995-July 3, 1996) |
EX
|
| (July 3, 1996-May 5, 1997) |
BONFIRE
|
| (May 5, 1997–2002) |
BONFIRE
CHARADE
|
| (2002-February 2006) |
BONFIRE
CHARADE
|
| (February 2006-January 15, 2009) |
BONFIRE
CHARADE
|
| (January 15, 2009–May 2011) |
BONFIRE
CHARADE
|
| (May 2011–present) |
BONFIRE
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Cacumen
- 1979: "Riding AwayRiding away"Riding Away" is the first single released by the German hard rock band Cacumen which would evolve into Bonfire. This is also the band's first release. In 2002/2003, Claus Lessmann and Hans Ziller purchased the rights to the Cacumen material and re-released the collection under the Bonfire name...
" (single) - 1981: CacumenCacumen (album)Cacumen is the first full length album by the hard rock band Cacumen. It was released in 1981 on the independent label Rockport Records. The album came out after their single, Riding Away, was released two years prior and features a new version of that song. Cacumen would rename themselves...
- 1983: Bad WidowBad Widow-Band members:*Claus Lessmann - lead vocals*Hans Ziller - lead & rhythm guitar, talkbox*Horst Maier - lead & rhythm guitar*Robert Prskalowicz - bass*Hans Forstner - drums-Covers:...
- 1985: Longing For You EPLonging for You EP-Band members:*Claus Lessmann - lead vocals*Hans Ziller - lead & rhythm guitar, talkbox*Horst Maier - lead & rhythm guitar*Robert Prskalowicz - bass*Hans Forstner - drums...
Studio albums
- 1986: Don't Touch the LightDon't Touch the LightDon't Touch the Light is the first album by the hard rock band Bonfire after the band changed its name from Cacumen. It was released in 1986 on RCA Records.-Track listing:-Band members:*Claus Lessmann - lead & backing vocals...
- 1987: FireworksFireworks (Bonfire album)Fireworks is the second album by the hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 1987 on the label BMG International with two different covers, the worldwide one had a patterned similar to a decorated vault door while the North American version was simply four pictures of each band member in each...
- 1989: Point BlankPoint Blank (Bonfire album)Point Blank is the third album by the hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 1989 on the label BMG International. During the recording sessions of this album, Hans Ziller was fired from the band, but the album features 10 songs written by him as well as 3 that feature him playing...
- 1991: Knock OutKnock Out (Bonfire album)Knock Out is the fourth album by the hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 1991 on the label BMG International. It is the band's least selling release.-Track listing:-Band members:*Claus Lessmann - lead & backing vocals, acoustic guitar...
- 1996: Feels Like Comin' HomeFeels Like Comin' HomeFeels Like Comin' Home is the "comeback" album by the band Bonfire. It is the band's fifth album, released in 1996 on the independent label LZ Records, and featured the reunion of Bonfire. The album is mostly English versions of the Glaub Dran album by Lessmann/Ziller and a German version of the...
- 1996: FreudenfeuerFeels Like Comin' HomeFeels Like Comin' Home is the "comeback" album by the band Bonfire. It is the band's fifth album, released in 1996 on the independent label LZ Records, and featured the reunion of Bonfire. The album is mostly English versions of the Glaub Dran album by Lessmann/Ziller and a German version of the...
(German version of Feels Like Comin' Home) - 1998: Rebel SoulRebel Soul (Bonfire album)Rebel Soul is the sixth album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It is the first to feature a complete band membership since the reunion in 1996...
- 1999: Fuel to the FlamesFuel to the FlamesFuel to the Flames is the seventh album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. Released in 1999 by BMG International, it marks the return of the signature rock sound that the band had been known for.-Track listing:-Band members:...
- 2001: Strike TenStrike TenStrike Ten is the eighth album by the band known as Bonfire, but is the tenth album release, hence the name. It was released in 2001 by BMG International and features a bonus song that was cut from the Fireworks album called Angel in White, which was also a B-side to the single, "Sleeping All...
- 2003: FreeFree (Bonfire album)Free is the ninth album by the band known as Bonfire. It was released in 2003 by TB Records and features music that leans more towards the once popular alternative sound. The album had two covers, one for German outlet and another for worldwide distribution. The German cover had a brown wall...
- 2006: Double XDouble X (Bonfire album)Double X is the tenth album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2006 by BMG International. It celebrates 20 years of Bonfire music.-Track listing:- Personnel :*Claus Lessmann - lead vocals, rhythm guitar...
- 2008: The RäuberThe RäuberThe Räuber is the eleventh album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2008 by LZ Records. The band collaborated with P.W. Politz to create a rock opera called The Räuber that debuted in Ingolstadt, Germany, in March 2008. The opera itself featured the band performing all the...
- 2011: BrandedBranded (Bonfire album)Branded is the twelfth album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2011 by LZ Records and Sony Music. This is the first full album to be released with Bonfire's original drummer, Dominik Huelshorst, back behind the drum kit for the band...
Live albums
- 1993: Live...The BestLive The BestLive...The Best is the first live album by the hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 1993 on the label RCA Records. It is a live concert recording done in Germany from the Point Blank Tour in 1989 and 1990. Michael Voss was a guest musician, as well as Andreas Knote, for the on stage...
- 2002: Live Over Europe!Live Over Europe!Live Over Europe! is the second album live by the hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2002 by LZ Records. It is a live concert recording made in England from the Golden Bullets Tour of 2002...
- 2005: One Acoustic NightOne Acoustic NightOne Acoustic Night is the third album live by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2005 by E-M-S Music and is a two-disc album that is a live acoustic performance in Germany. It also features a studio song dedicated to the victims of the tsunami disaster in Thailand, recorded in...
- 2007: Double VisionDouble Vision (Bonfire album)Double Vision is the fourth album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2007 by LZ Records. It is a live album, recorded in England during Firefest III in Nottingham. It was billed as "a live celebration of 20 years of rock 'n' roll" by Bonfire. A DVD of the concert was...
- 2011: Fireworks Still AliveFireworks Still AliveFireworks Still Alive is the fifth live album by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2011 by LZ Records and Sony Music. All the live performances on the album were recorded at various venues/concerts by Bonfire throughout Europe...
Compilation albums
- 1997: Hot & SlowHot & SlowHot & Slow is the first compilation by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It is a greatest hits collection with a previously unreleased version of the song "Rock 'n' Roll Cowboy" and released in 1997 on BMG International. During this period, the band gained three new members.-Track...
- 2000: Who's Foolin' Who
- 2001: 29 Golden Bullets29 Golden Bullets29 Golden Bullets is the third compilation by the German rock band Bonfire. It was released in 2001 by BMG International and features a bonus song that was cut from the Fireworks album called "Take Me by the Hand"...
- 2004: The Early Days Parts 1 - 5The Early Days Parts 1 - 5The Early Days is the fourth compilation by the band Bonfire. It was released in 2004 by LZ Records and is a five-part CD set that was initially sold individually and then released as a box set...
- 2009: You Make Me FeelYou Make Me Feel (Bonfire album)You Make Me Feel is the fifth compilation by the German hard rock band Bonfire. It is a greatest hits collection that was released by LZ Records in 2009, featuring a double CD set of all the best ballad songs by the band. The album also features a new version of "You Make Me Feel" as well as...
Singles (Previously unreleased songs)
- 1989: "Sword and StoneSword and Stone"Sword And Stone" is a single released by the German band Bonfire. It was recorded during the session recordings for their 3rd album, Point Blank. This song appeared in the Wes Craven movie, Shocker. Included on the single are songs by Saraya and Voodoo X...
" - 1998: "Because It's Christmas TimeBecause It's Christmas Time"Because It's Christmas Time" is a single released by the German band Bonfire. It was recorded after the session recordings for their album, Rebel Soul. The song itself was a song from that album called Before We Say Goodbye and was rewritten with different lyrics. There are two versions of the...
" - 2003: "Tell Me What U KnowTell Me What U Know"Tell Me What U Know" is the third single released by the German hard rock band Bonfire that had not appeared on a previously released album. It was released in 2003 by BMG International as a preview to the album known as Free, which had a more modern sound to the music. It also features three...
" - 2004: "Schanzer HerzSchanzer Herz"Schanzer Herz" is a single released by the German hard rock band Bonfire that had not appeared on a previously released album. It was released in 2004 by LZ Records. The single was only available in Germany and was dedicated to the Ingolstadt soccer team, becoming the team's theme song...
" - 2010: "Deutsche NationalhymneDeutsche Nationalhymne"Deutsche Nationalhymne" is a single released by the German hard rock band Bonfire that had not appeared on a previously released album. It was released in 2010 by the imprint LZ Records and the first release by the band under their new contract with Universal Music...
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VHS / DVDs
- 1993: The Best (VHS)The Best (VHS)The Best is a compilation video released by Bonfire in 1993 which contained all the band's promotional videos from 1986 to 1993. It also includes footage of the band during recording sessions and tours. This package was released when the band's album Live...The Best came out and was basically a...
- 2001: Golden BulletsGolden BulletsGolden Bullets is a compilation video released by Bonfire in 2001 which contained most of the footage from the band's VHS release of The Best but had excluded from that production the sections entitled L.A. and Bonfire Recording Session - Point Blank...
(DVD, reissue of The Best) - 2005: One Acoustic Night (DVD)One Acoustic Night (DVD)One Acoustic Night is a live video released by Bonfire in 2005. It was a two disc set, the first featured the band playing an acoustic live set and the second featured extra material.-DVD #1:# Free# What About Love?# Hot To Rock# Don't Touch The Light...
- 2007: Double VisionDouble Vision (Bonfire DVD)Double Vision is a live video released by Bonfire in 2007. It was recorded live at Firefest III in Nottingham, United Kingdom. Aside from the concert, addition footage of the band's videos from the 1980s, behind the scenes stuff and three songs performed at Rockpalast are included.-Track list:#...
(DVD) - 2008: The Räuber - LiveThe Räuber - LiveThe Räuber – Live is a video released by Bonfire in 2009. It features two discs, the first having the entire rock opera performance of The Räuber while the second one has behind the scenes look at the opera rehearsals and a new updated music video for You Make Me Feel...
(DVD)
Lessmann/Ziller
- 1993: Glaub DranGlaub DranGlaub Dran is the only album by the duo known as Lessmann/Ziller. It was released in 1993 on the label BMG International and featured the reunion of Claus Lessmann and Hans Ziller in musical partnership. The entire album is performed in German...
- 1994: "Charlie & Louise" (single)
- 1994: "Für DichFur Dich"Für Dich" is the second single released by the German duo Lessmann/Ziller and is their last new release. After it was put out, the duo decided to change their name and start a new project called "Ex".-Track listing:...
" (single)
Side Projects
This does not count what former members have done since leaving Cacumen and Bonfire.Joerg Deisinger had played on the 1989 album, entitled Wild Obsession
Wild Obsession
Wild Obsession is the first solo album from German guitar player Axel Rudi Pell after leaving German heavy metal band Steeler. It was released 1989 on Steamhammer Records.- Track listing :#"Wild Cat" - 3:38...
, by Axel Rudi Pell
Axel Rudi Pell
Axel Rudi Pell is a German guitar player, playing melodic heavy metal. He started off with the band Steeler before leaving to start his solo career in 1989 with the eponymous band Axel Rudi Pell...
.
Claus Lessmann was planned to be the lead singer of EZ Livin' while still maintaining membership in Bonfire in 1990. Problems arose and he stayed with Bonfire, but he recorded some demos, which appeared on Bonfire - The Early Days Part 4.
Michael Bormann, when he joined Bonfire in 1993, maintained his membership in Jaded Heart. When Charade was put together, he was still with Jaded Heart, but has been involved with other projects since then. The Sygnet was put together in 1997 and lasted until 2000. He has been releasing solo material since 2002 and created the band known as Rain in 1997, which apparently disbanded by 2008. He has also been in Biss (2002–2004), 20th Century Boys (2004), Zeno
Zeno Roth
Zeno Roth is a German guitarist and songwriter, playing in a fluent neoclassical/blues style. He is the younger brother of acclaimed guitarist Uli Jon Roth of Scorpions.Zeno Roth is also a poet and writer...
(2005–present), The Trophey (2006–present), Bloodbound
Bloodbound
Bloodbound is a Swedish heavy metal band formed in 2004. They released their first album, Nosferatu, in 2005 and their second, Book of the Dead, in May 2007. The brainchild of former Street Talk members Fredrik Bergh and Tomas Olsson, the band has also included Michael Bormann , Urban breed and...
(2007), Redrum
Redrum
Redrum may refer to:* "Murder" spelled backwards, a plot device in various works such as Stephen King's novel The Shining* Red Rum, a legendary three time Grand National winning race horse....
(2004–present) and Idea (2003–present).
Angel Schleifer, since Charade came into existence, was part of Sabu until 1998. This band reunited in 2003, but nothing came of it, although he and Paul Sabu
Paul Sabu
-Early life:Born January 2, 1960. Paul is the son of Indian-born film star Sabu and Marilyn Cooper.-Career:Paul Sabu is best known for his work with his band Only Child plus an arsenal of artists such as David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Little Caesar, Lee Aaron, Madonna, Malice, Robbie Neville, Motels,...
have been working together. He was also involved with Demon Drive until 2001 and has contributed to the Voices of Rock project by Chris Lausmann and Michael Voss.
Chris Lausmann's former band, Frontline, reunited in 2000. He stayed with them until 2002. He also had a project with Frontline vocalist Stephen Kaemmerer called Revolution, but nothing came of that. He is currently involved with Michael Voss in a project called Voices of Rock, which showcases various lead vocalists to sing individual songs written by the duo.
Uwe Köhler joined Affair in 1999 and the group released an album in 2002. News from the band's website states a new album is in the works with a new membership line-up. It is unknown if Köhler is still a member.
Jürgen Wiehler has been in the punk-rock band known as Lustfinger since 2002. He also was listed as a member of The Scovilles (2004–2008) and a member of the industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band Megaherz
Megaherz
Megaherz is an industrial metal group formed in Munich, Germany in 1993. One of the band's most famous songs is "Gott sein" on their first full album Wer Bist Du? . Megaherz has gone through many changes in musical style since their founding...
since 2007.
Since rejoining the band, Dominik Hülshorst is involved with Faro, Seelenbrand, Volt and BrunoRock.