Search - Bonfire :: Double X

20 years and still going strong!

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 09/20/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"German melodic rock masters Bonfire celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2006 with the appropriately-titled studio album Double X. The realization that it has been 20 years since Don't Touch The Light was released makes me feel incredibly old, but fortunately Bonfire's sound is just as impressive now as it was back then.



The first thing that jumps out at you when listening to this album is the fact that the Bonfire guys have finally gotten over their Southern rock fixation. No more rebel anthems or odes to Dixie, just plenty of the kind of melodic rock songs Bonfire is so well known for. The band has returned to a sound based on catchy hooks, powerful melodies, and (mostly) positive, energetic lyrics, and it really pays off. The band just seems more focused and energized here (something I never quite felt on Rebel Soul for example).



My only real complain with Double X is the song Rap is Crap. I'm not a rap fan, but this racially charged song just seemed gratuitous and petty. Is rap music really having that much of an effect in Germany? I have to say I lost some respect for the band over this song, especially since musically it's b-side quality at best.



I also don't quite get why the album closes with a bunch of six-second silent tracks, followed by a weird little 20-second closing track. It doesn't seem to add anything to the album.



Those issues aside, I am very pleased with this album overall. If you're a Bonfire fan or just love quality melodic rock music, this one is a no-brainer. It's probably the best album the band has released in a decade, and is a great example of why Bonfire is such an important name in the melodic rock scene.

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