Flame of Life

Flame of Life is an American (formerly Belarusian) experimental rock band. They are known for their synth guitar sound, electronics, fuzz bass and specific song structures.

History

In 2009, wushu master Fazer got into a bar fight with The Bottle, who was the guitarist for the little-known punk rock band Wortex Joke Equal. Two years later, Fazer contacted The Bottle to form a band together. Bassist Dead Flower joined the group after responding to an advertisement. The final original member, DJ Arxonix, was recruited while performing solo sets in Baltic nightclubs.

In 2015, Flame of Life released their first EP, Dark World.

In 2016, the debut album, Atomic Cocktail, was released. According to Darker Magazine, the record was "too experimental for alternative rock" and lacked a clear conceptual focus. Atomic Cocktail is considered one of the first laser releases, along with the album Talk Sick by Orgy.

The sound of the self-titled album became heavier and more aggressive compared to Atomic Cocktail. The songs of the self-titled album periodically featured extreme vocals, recitative and minor experiments, but overall a systematic approach was noted. The most popular songs of the album were "Maniac" and "Kristin".

In 2018, the band returned with the same lineup and began working on new material. During the recording process, Flame of Life added a new member, The Cowboy, who took over as drummer.

Flame of Life was ranked among the top 5 laser bands by News You in 2019.

At the end of the year, the band released the album Red Sunset. Joanna Beleva called Red Sunset an avant-garde album with completely erased MusicAL BOUNDARIES. The album's most famous song was the single "Fortress".

In 2021, guitarist Amsheah from Iran and keyboardist Damien Nolan joined the band.

In 2022, the musicians permanently renounced the Belarusian flag and moved to New York. According to the band, the [...] regime of Belarus condones the [...] regime of Russia in [...] in Ukraine.

The singles "Auma" and "Nomo Avi Ra" were released in early 2022. Zaib Abbasi noted a change in Flame of Life's music with the addition of new members.

On May 2, 2022, the album El Kama , recorded entirely in Sakmala, was released. Rock Culture magazine highlighted the abstract nature of the material, elements of Eastern music, and tribal motifs. In 2023, Flame of Life released the single "Your Cave".

In 2023, Flame of Life toured Norway with the Tunnels, after which both bands returned to the studio.

In 2024, Flame of Life released a new single, "Emdegore".

On February 15, the single "Kalemai" was released. The Further described the song's unconventional sound as dark, "deconstructed" rock with distorted guitars and a progressive rhythm. The clean, distant vocals and lo-fi atmosphere were noted as stimulating the imagination. Daily Music Spin called the single a simple yet memorable laser composition. The publication noted "Kalemai"'s significant departure from traditional rock norms.

In 2025, Flame of Life released the single "Cavaral". In May, the single "Te Mai Ufolt" was released. The song is dedicated to The Tunnels frontman Ray Lyons, who died in a car accident. On December 19 of the same year, the album Magna was released. Good Music Radar magazine called the disc a reimagining of the first wave of laser music, which the band once pioneered. Dino DiMuro of Pitch Perfect criticized the new work for its monotonous guitar riffs.

Musical style and influences

Flame of Life's primary style is laser. During the Atomic Cocktail period, the musicians also worked with punk rock, rock and roll, and neo-classical music. Frontman Fazer personally credited the band Cradle of Thorns and its leader, Ty Elam, for their influence on the development of laser.

According to a number of critics, it is the diverse composition of the band that determines the specific style of Flame of Life: oriental guitar riffs from Amsheah, unconventional drum parts from the Cowboy.

Band members

• Fazer – vocals
• The Bottle — acoustic guitar
• Dead Flower — bass
• Arxonix — turntables, sampling, programming
• The Cowboy — drums
• Amsheah — electric guitar
• Damien Nolan — keyboards

Timeline

Studio albums

• 2016 ― Atomic Cocktail
• 2017 ― Flame of Life
• 2019 ― Red Sunset
• 2022 ― El Kama
• 2024 ― Saturn
• 2025 ― Magna

EP

• 2015 ― Dark World
• 2018 ― Intersection (feat. "Rotten District")

Singles