Today, Metal Revolt has the pleasure of welcoming FireFlame, an exciting metal force from Osaka, Japan!
With a fresh and distinctive approach to music, the band describe their sound as “Modern Heavy Metal”, a powerful blend of metalcore aggression and classic heavy metal influences . It is a combination that immediately stood out and completely won me over!
Fresh from their first international tour in Taiwan, FireFlame are now getting ready to unleash their debut full-length album, Force Against the End, through Wormholedeath Records.
I did not miss the chance to speak with the band about their sound, the upcoming album, the metal scene in Osaka and their plans for the future…
Enjoy the interview!
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to speak with Metal Revolt! First of all, how are you and how things are in the FireFlame camp at the moment?
Hello, and thank you so much for having us!
We are doing fantastic, and the energy in the FireFlame camp is at an all-time high right now. We recently wrapped up our very first international tour in Taiwan, which was an incredible, eye-opening experience for us.
Playing for the overseas crowd pushed our live performance to a whole new level and made our sound even more aggressive.
More than anything, overcoming the challenges of touring abroad together has built an unbreakable bond among the members.
We are currently in the absolute best shape, both as musicians and as a band, and we can’t wait to unleash our new music onto the world!
Your debut full-length album, Force Against the End, will soon be released worldwide through Wormholedeath Records. How are you feeling as the release approaches, and what does this important step mean for the band?
To be honest, our hearts are racing with pure excitement because we want everyone around the world to hear this album as soon as possible! For us, this worldwide release marks the official signal for our greatest challenge to begin.
It feels like the heavy gears of FireFlame’s history are finally starting to move.
We poured all of our blood, sweat, and modern metal energy into Force Against the End, so having it released globally through Wormholedeath Records is an incredibly monumental step.
For anyone discovering FireFlame for the first time, how would you personally describe the band’s sound and musical identity?
First and foremost, we define our sound as “Modern Heavy Metal”—a new genre of our own creation.
Our ultimate goal is the seamless fusion of traditional heavy metal and aggressive metalcore.
We refuse to fit into any single, pre-existing box, whether it’s metalcore, melodic death metal, or classic heavy metal.
Another core element of our identity is the heavy emphasis we place on the lyrical worldview.
Our overarching theme centers on the fire that burns within the hearts of those who never stop fighting.
Our music is crafted specifically for anyone out there who is constantly defying the odds and pursuing something they refuse to give up on.
We want to be the soundtrack for their relentless spirit.
I have been listening to the album, and I can honestly say that I am really enjoying it. First of all, congratulations for your work! One of the things that immediately stood out for me was the way the music moves between metalcore aggression to more “traditional” heavy metal moments. Which bands and artists have influenced you the most, and how did those influences lead you towards this particular style?
First of all, thank you so much for your kind words and for enjoying our album!
Hearing that means the world to us.
As a band, we are influenced by a wide variety of artists, but if we had to narrow it down to the biggest ones, our traditional heavy metal roots and twin-lead guitar style definitely come from Judas Priest. On the other hand, our aggressive metalcore edge is heavily inspired by Bullet For My Valentine.
But as I mentioned earlier, we define ourselves as “Modern Heavy Metal,” which means the core foundation we value the most is always traditional heavy metal.
Personally, as a guitarist, I’ve never actually heard a band that mixes these two specific elements the way we do—so I guess I just wanted to create and listen to that ideal band myself! [laughs]
Can you tell us more about the creative process within FireFlame? How do you usually compose your songs, and how involved is each member in shaping the final result?
The core songwriting is mainly handled by Connie Flames (Ba) and myself, FireRay (Gt). One of us will usually come up with a rough structure or a basic demo of a song first.
Once we have that ready, we bring it to the rehearsal studio and play it together as a full band.
From there, everyone contributes to the arrangement.
We share ideas and try different things during rehearsal to shape and complete the track, which naturally allows each member’s personality to reflect in the final song.
The title “Force Against the End” carries a strong sense of resistance and determination. What does the title personally mean to the band?
This release is actually a concept album that tells a single cohesive story.
Because of that, I don’t want to reveal too much here.
I really want everyone to get their hands on the physical CD, look closely at the artwork and the hidden details we’ve woven into the packaging, and imagine their own version of the story.
But like I mentioned earlier, we felt this title was the absolute perfect fit for a tale about someone challenging the odds and refusing to ever give up.
Also, as a special hint just for the readers here: take a really close look at the tracklist.
If you look at the song titles carefully, I’m sure you will figure out which track carries the most important message I want to deliver to you all! [laughs]
What can listeners expect from “Force Against the End”, both musically and emotionally?
Musically, if you listen to the album from start to finish, I think it’ll make you go, “Who the hell is this band?!” [laughs].
It will give everyone a very clear picture of what our brand of “Modern Heavy Metal” is all about, and we really hope you love it!
Emotionally and conceptually, it’s all about the lyrics and the hidden details we’ve packed into the physical CD.
We want listeners to blast the music, examine every corner of the artwork, and completely immerse themselves in the world of FireFlame.
It’s designed to be an experience where the music and the visuals connect to pull you deep into the story.
What is your personal favourite song, riff, solo, or moment from “Force Against the End”, and what makes it special to you?
As FireRay (Gt), my absolute favorite song on the album has to be Something Is Wrong.
The track is just incredible, the lyrics are powerful, and structurally, it serves as a major turning point in the album’s story.
When it comes to the songs I wrote myself, Scapegoat is definitely my top pick.
As a guitarist, I am extremely proud of how the entire guitar solo section turned out—the composition and flow of it feel perfect to me.
But if we’re talking about the best single lick on the entire album, I have to give it to my guitar partner, Fire. J. In the track F.A.T.E., right at the 3-minute and 32-second mark, he plays this opening phrase for his solo that is just absolutely insane.
It’s completely crazy, and I love it! [laughs]
You are based in Osaka, a city with an important history in Japanese heavy metal. How would you describe the metal scene there today?
Osaka has a legendary history—it’s the birthplace of LOUDNESS, making it the ultimate holy land for Japanese heavy metal.
However, it’s unfortunate that the scene here has shrunk significantly over the years. Right now, the reality is that fewer and fewer people are visiting live houses to support underground or independent metal bands.
Despite that, we are incredibly proud to be an Osaka band. We refuse to let that fire die out!
Our ultimate mission is to bring the center of the Japanese metal scene back to Osaka and to make the local crowd fanatical about metal once again.
We are working as hard as we can to spearhead that revival!
You also helped create NWOJHM alongside kitsunevi, with the aim of bringing Osaka’s metal community together and helping it move forward. Can you tell us more about this initiative and what you hope to achieve through it?
As I mentioned in the previous answer, the metal scene in Osaka is currently in decline.
But our mindset was, “If the scene is dying, then let’s just build a brand-new one ourselves!” That’s why we teamed up with kitsunevi—a band formed around the same time as us in the same Kansai region, who we’ve shared the stage with since our very early days. Together, we launched the “NWOJHM” (New Wave Of Japanese Heavy Metal) event to revive the Osaka metal scene.
Thanks to this initiative, our own community and music scene are steadily growing piece by piece.
We really need everyone’s support to keep this momentum going!
You can check out what we are doing and follow our official Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/nwojhm_official/
What are FireFlame’s upcoming live and touring plans? Are there any chances we will see you on European soil soon?
We are actually staying very active and playing live shows every single month! However, because the exact physical release date for the CD is still being finalized, we haven’t been able to officially map out our full release tour yet.
As for Europe—absolutely, yes! It is our dream and our ultimate goal. We are definitely going to make a European tour happen, so we want all the fans over there to get ready and look forward to it!
We would also love to perform at the massive European metal festivals in the future.
We are coming for you, so keep your eyes on FireFlame!
Looking beyond the release of the debut album, what are FireFlame’s long-term goals and visions for the future?
The funny thing is, even though our 1st album hasn’t even been officially released yet, we are already hard at work writing our 2nd album! [laughs]
Right now, our creative energy is just overflowing, and we simply want to keep churning out new music without stopping.
Our ultimate vision is to use this 1st album as a springboard to aggressively break into the global market and expand overseas.
I am absolutely convinced that making a huge impact internationally will eventually come full circle and naturally revitalize the local metal scene back home in Osaka.
Thank you so much for your time and for this amazing interview! To wrap things up, is there anything else you would like to say to the readers and your fans all over the world?
Thank you so much for giving us this incredible opportunity!
To everyone reading this and to all our fans around the world: Force Against The End is more than just an album to us—it’s a declaration of our survival and our refusal to back down.
Life throws endless walls and dead ends at all of us, but remember, as long as you keep moving forward, the fire inside you will never go out.
We are ready to take on the world from Osaka, and we want you to be a part of this journey with us.
Check out our music, grab the CD, blast it loud, and let’s burn through the dark together.
We can’t wait to see you all on stage in Europe and across the globe. Stay heavy, stay defiant, and thank you for your support!
We are FireFlame!
