Blog Post
DeadFire – ‘Enemy’
Reviewed by Gareth Griffiths • 25 October 2024
Aberdonian hard rockers DeadFire have been quiet on the recording front in 2024… mainly because they have spent most of the year wowing audiences throughout the UK with explosive live shows! But with the last three singles, ‘Live or Die’, ‘Pro[pain]’ and ‘BMF’ being so well received, including some high praise from this writer, DeadFire’s Charlie (vocals), Rich (guitar), Oi (bass) and Tunk (drums) simply had to return to the studio to record new music, using the momentum of their recent live performances to add even more energy and angst to their studio efforts. So, with that thought firmly in mind, they left the ‘Granite City’ of Aberdeen and headed south to ‘Auld Reekie’, Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh, to record their brand new single, ‘Enemy’, due for release on 1st November 2024.
With previous releases angrily tackling issues that have an effect on everyday mortals and normal members of the public, such as corrupt governments and corporate greed, what could the lyrical content possibly be about in 2024? Well… it’s about war! With wars raging in Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and various areas of Africa and Asia, it’s a very current topic of conversation. But behind every warmonger, president and military officer directing such conflicts from the safety of ornately decorated safe rooms is a soldier with a family and their own story to tell. For some soldiers on all sides of a conflict, they don’t necessarily agree with what they’re fighting for and have been thrust into a war they don’t want to be a part of. That’s the theme of ‘Enemy’, with the song being written from that soldier’s perspective.
Starting with the unmistakeable and very apt sound of an air raid siren, the song bursts to life with Charlie defiantly shouting “we’re not… we’re not your enemy” before a sleazy, hard rock riff worthy of comparison with Appetite For Destruction-era Guns N’ Roses… but much, much heavier… rips out of the speakers! The guitar, bass and drums drive the intro with such ferocity that it could easily strip off your wallpaper, crack your ceilings and dim your lights, such is the surge of musical power and energy!
The verse remains heavy with rhythm guitar, bass and drums knitting tightly together to create the perfect sonic landscape for Charlie’s wonderfully gruff, angsty sounding vocals as he plays the part of the railroaded soldier; “I don’t even know your name but we’re both the same. Pawns in a dangerous game”. Hear, hear!!
The chorus is a riff-filled fest of pure hard rock and heavy metal ferocity. So loud, so heavy and so angry that soldiers on the frontline of the world’s conflicts can probably hear it, despite being thousands of miles away. That’s a good thing… as it’s written about many of them and their hopeless plight, with the singer speaking on their behalf; “we’re not, we’re not, we’re not your enemy”.
A throaty scream leads to the bridge, with a guitar solo by Rich that evokes memories of classic Slash… but with added oomph… whilst the rhythm section of Oi’s bass and Tunk’s drums thunder along like a fully loaded, heavy metal tour bus! A return to the chorus rounds it all off, with the air raid siren returning to signal the end. Breathless stuff!
Since the end of the pandemic, when DeadFire returned to music with a renewed vigour and energy, I’ve been privileged to review their singles, watching them grow in confidence as performers and songwriters with each new release. For me, ‘Enemy’ is the best music of their career, streets ahead of anything on previous albums and built on the solid foundations of the previous three excellent singles. It’s DeadFire turned up to max volume (11 isn’t high enough!), playing at their loud, proud, whisky-fuelled, sweat-inducing best. This is ferocious hard rock/heavy metal, melting your eardrums whilst posing the question: “War. What is it good for?” Absolutely nothing”!
‘Enemy’ is released on 1st November on all the usual platforms and will be accompanied by an excellent music video, filmed at Longside Airfield, north of Aberdeen.