IIgnite

"On one of the coldest nights of this winter, I witnessed one of the hottest nights of music in a while. A Farewell Fire kicked off the night. I had been hearing alot about these guys and now I know why. While they are as hard as nails at times, they do break it down and the vocals aren't all screams. The rest and the breakdown create contrast in music, particularly the harder styles, and too many beginner bands miss this key element in their music. AFF use this tactic to keep their screams from becoming monotonous. The band recently filmed for a local music television show 'Voicebox TV' and have a CD called 'The Thin Line Between', which is is their debut album. Visit www.afarewellfire.com to find out more." -Mike Ferrari

"Heavy and melodic, this band is pure intensity on stage." -The Inside Connection Magazine



- the inside connection

It was obvious from the opening bars of A Farewell Fire’s set that they intended to push the bar a little higher for all the finalists competing in the big showcase. The four-piece thrash-core outfit, who played in front of giant banners sporting the AFF logo, showed off their Glassjaw and Fugazi influences by pouring it on with savage choruses, intricate breakdowns, and megaphone-charged vocals. Singer Bill Moros and guitarist Eddie Raccioppi jumped around the stage as if it was a trampoline, while bassist Mike Zagel and drummer Ray Rossier laid down phenomenal beats and grooves, churning the audience into a frenzy.
- Good Times Magazine

L.I. SPOTLIGHT:
A Farewell Fire Get Ready For The Explosion
By Bill Reese

If the local music scene is about to blow up, groups like A Farewell Fire will be the ones providing the gunpowder. Led by singer Bill Moros, with guitarist Eddie Raccioppi, bassist Mike Zagel and drummer Ray Rossier, the group’s unique blend of hardcore rock mixes melodic verses spliced with ear-pleasing, edgy choruses and honest, powerful vocals. They are one of many local groups that are just looking for that single spark that will ignite the scene into a full-fledged regional music powerhouse.

AFF were the runners-up in this year’s Long Island Music Festival, delivering a memorable, high-octane performance in front of a packed house at Mulcahy’s. Zagel said that the whole festival experience was incredible for the band. “Our shows were a big success. We made lots of friends with the bands we played with.” One of those connections was with LIMF Grand Prize winners Code Anchor. “We had never met them before,” said Zagel. “Now we’ve played a few shows with them since then.”

Lead singer Bill Moros described his songwriting as a reflection of his own life experiences. “Our songs are about things that happen to me and things happen to people close to me.” He went on to explain that the group’s new songs have a different point of view, focusing less on “personal things,” and more on a broader, psychological and even political aspects. But he says he’s not out to preach. “The songs are open to interpretation. People can apply the songs to their own lives.”

The group is in the process of developing songs for the follow-up to their 2005 debut The Thin Line Between. “We’re doing another full record that should be about 12 songs,” said Moros. “Six or seven are ready to record and we have a bunch more.” With an easier live schedule this month, Moros says that the group will spend some extra time in the studio to perfect the new material. In the meantime, expect their live shows to remain focused on The Thin Line Between.

Like many bands in the local scene, AFF have used new technology and music networking sites such as MySpace to build a strong following. In two years together as a group, the band has gathered more than 8,000 MySpace buddies, many of whom have begun coming out to their shows in droves.

“The local scene is about to explode,” Zagel boldly predicts. “It’s the best it’s ever been right now. There’s so much good music around, and lots of kids are buying into it. The next six months are going to be very exciting.”

Moros agreed, but insisted that while the ingredients are there for a local music boom, there were still hurdles to clear. “More bars are 21-plus, and it’s hard for original bands to make it playing only on weeknights. We need more all-ages shows on Fridays and Saturdays, so kids can come out and make the scene their own.”
A Farewell Fire is not alone in their attitude about the local scene. Every big music scene from Seattle’s grunge movement in the early 1990s, to Omaha and Montreal’s indie-underground movement in this decade have understood and utilized the youth culture. Long Island has the talent, so why should bands be forced to fight for their professional lives in Manhattan when such a strong crop of musicians is growing out here? Regardless, Bill, Mike, Eddie, and Ray believe that bigger things are ahead. When asked about the band’s future, Moros summed it up best when he said, “The sky’s the limit.”

For more on A Farewell Fire, visit them online at afarewellfire.com or myspace.com/afarewellfireband.



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