When drummer James Nicademus co-founded thrash metal quartet Misfire back 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 James’ watchful eye and vision, Misfire survived the brutal times and arose stronger than ever.

Misfire’s renewed and reinvigorated line-up – which also includes vocalist Tim Jensen, guitarist Kostadin Kostadinov, and bassist/vocalist Dan Stapinski – is now roaring full steam ahead with their sophomore album Product of the Environment on MNRK Heavy.

This new, 12-song collection is the product of the tumultuous changes that the Joliet, Illinois foursome endured over the last three years. Misfire’s original line-up featured a different vocalist/guitarist and bassist. But in 2022, prior to a major tour supporting Warbringer, their frontman departed for personal reasons. Frontman Tim Jensen and guitarist Kostadin Kostadinov swooped in to the save the day. After a successful cross-country trek, their bassist departed to pursue audio engineering, so Misfire enlisted bassist/vocalist Dan Stapinski.

All four Misfire members have met their musical matches in each other, and their talents shine through on Product of the Environment. 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, Kosta balances aggression with melody in his six-string playing, shredding when he needs to and showing tasteful restraint at other times. Laying down his bass lines, Dan shows equal shrewdness in how he works the groove of each song.

James 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 James is Misfire’s principal wordsmith, Dan and Tim added their thoughts to some new tracks.

“Our lyrics are mostly based off of personal experiences,” Dan says. “A lot of it comes really natural.” Beyond music, he and James share a personal bond as they both lost their mother in the same year, so their world views sync up.

Whereas the group’s 2021 raging debut Sympathy For The Ignorant was a set of high energy demos that saw release through MNRK, Product of the Environment was 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 Illinois 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,” Tim recalls. “Kosta had the most work to do because there’s two guitars – rhythms and the solos on top of that.”

The results roar for themselves. The lead single and video “We Went Through Hell” angrily addresses the near dissolution of the band following their 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 Dan to vent about people who take advantage of others without remorse.

“A lot of lines mean a lot of things to me,” Dan stresses. “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.” James adds that the songs provide room for interpretation to allow listeners to inject their own experiences.

There was a little outside input too. Douglass, Parra, and Death Angel’s Rob Cavestany each provide a guest guitar solo. Thanks to Kosta’s friendship with Exodus frontman Rob Dukes, the latter agreed to appear on the song “Left For Dead,” a song that deals with hypnotism. Dukes portrays the pernicious voice placing Misfire’s frontman under his control.

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,” James asserts. “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. James 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,” declares the drummer. “We’re very open minded people.”

Of utmost importance to the band will always 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,” Dan explains. “We didn’t write a story, but this is our story.”