Chicago, Illinois, thrash metal band Misfire has shared the blistering new single “Living the Dream” from its upcoming new album “Product of the Environment,” due May 2, 2025, via MNRK Heavy. Pre-order the album here, and watch the “Living the Dream” music video below.
“Getting through life’s twists and turns can sometimes feel like driving full speed in the wrong direction,” drummer James Nicademus said. “If you crash and burn, you’d better live, learn, and keep living that dream. This song has been a long time coming so turn it up to eleven and bang your head!”
“Product of the Environment” includes guest guitar solos by co-producer/engineer John Douglass, mixer Alex Parra (Paladin) and Death Angel’s Rob Cavestany, while Exodus frontman Rob Dukes appears on the song “Left For Dead.” (Dukes portrays the pernicious voice placing Misfire’s frontman under his control.) The record features cover art by Rick Zesati and will be released on CD, LP and digital formats.
Misfire will hit the road with Exodus and Havok this spring on the Swarm of Horror Tour.
When Nicademus co-founded Misfire in 2019, he wanted to bash the skins and unleash full-bore tracks that could serve as musical therapy for his band and the fans. As with any new group, there were exciting opportunities to evolve and difficult circumstances that threatened to derail them. But under his watchful eye and vision, Misfire survived the brutal times and arose stronger than ever.
Misfire’s renewed and reinvigorated lineup—which also includes vocalist Tim Jensen, guitarist Kostadin Kostadinov and bassist/vocalist Dan Stapinski—is roaring full steam ahead with its sophomore album, “Product of the Environment.”
This 12-song collection is the product of the tumultuous changes that the Joliet, Illinois, foursome endured over the past three years. Misfire’s original lineup featured a different vocalist/guitarist and bassist. But in 2022, prior to a major tour supporting Warbringer, the frontman departed for personal reasons. Jensen and Kostadinov swooped in to the save the day. After a successful cross-country trek, the band’s bassist departed to pursue audio engineering, so Misfire enlisted Stapinski.
Jensen brings clarity and melody to his aggressive vocals, finding his sweet spot between the raspy delivery of Dave Mustaine and the bellows of Phil Anselmo. Pulling from his European background, Kostadinov balances aggression with melody in his six-string playing, shredding when he needs to and showing restraint at other times. Laying down his bass lines, Stapinski shows equal shrewdness in how he works the groove of each song.
Nicademus may pound away behind his kit, but his musical influence reverberates along the group’s front line. Like one of his idols, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, he also plays guitar and conjures most of the riffs that drive the band’s music. While Nicademus is Misfire’s principal wordsmith, Stapinski and Jensen added their thoughts to some new tracks.
“Our lyrics are mostly based off of personal experiences,” Stapinski said. “A lot of it comes really natural.”
Beyond music, he and Nicademus share a personal bond as they both lost their mother in the same year, so their world views sync up.
While the group’s 2021 debut “Sympathy for the Ignorant” was a set of high-energy demos that saw release through MNRK, “Product of the Environment” is a more polished effort. Misfire journeyed to Atlanta for 10 days to work with co-producer/engineer John Douglass and mixer Alex Parra, who also plays guitar in the band Paladin. The quartet lived and breathed the music for an intense and concentrated period of time, toiling over 12 hours a day. “Wake up, cook breakfast, and start tracking,” Jensen said. “Kosta had the most work to do because there’s two guitars—rhythms and the solos on top of that.”
The lead single and video “We Went Through Hell” angrily addresses the near dissolution of the band following its original frontman’s departure. “Artificially Intelligent” and “Privacy” address concerns about the devious digital forces that are monitoring and shaping our lives. “Twist of Fate” allows Stapinski to vent about people who take advantage of others without remorse.
“A lot of lines mean a lot of things to me,” Stapinski said. “I don’t write something just to make it sound like Dr. Seuss. Everything has a point of pain, a point of happiness. There’s sadness.”
Nicademus added that the songs provide room for interpretation to allow listeners to inject their own experiences.
While Misfire draws from 1980s thrash like Metallica and Kreator, influences such as seminal death metal icons Death and the progressive metal stylings of Dream Theater and Symphony X factor in, as well.
“Some of the Symphony X stuff definitely changed the way that I play guitar,” Nicademus said. “If I have to be a little bit more creative with something, it’s pretty easy to go: What would Symphony X or Dream Theater do to make this part a little bit less thrash and a little bit less basic?”
Although the old-school thrash tag certainly applies to much of Misfire’s music, the members see themselves in broader terms due to their influences. Nicademus points to the danceable grooves of “We Went Through Hell,” and he doesn’t rule out a little electronic music injection in the future. “We like a lot more than just metal music,” he said. “We’re very open minded people.”
Of utmost importance to the band always will be playing raw and loud, no click tracks or Auto-Tune needed and staying authentic to who they are.
“In general, everything was written just about us, and it’s just a real experience,” Stapinski said. “We didn’t write a story, but this is our story.”
Tour dates:
with Exodus and Havok
4/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ Nile
4/29 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
4/30 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater
5/1 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
5/2 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
5/4 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe @ Old National
5/6 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
5/8 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s
5/11 – Birmingham, AL @ Workplay
5/13 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
Leave a Reply