Photo: Ed Kost
Penetrating thrash with lots of groove, rock, and punk inflections, Chicago-area quartet Misfire have been making their mark on an active scene. Even with a total lineup rehaul between records, they’ve lost no momentum when it comes to their explosive, addictive style. Their latest record Product of the Environment contains a lot of the sinister power that put the original Bay Area movement on the map – along with a modest amount of modern angst and sophistication to appeal to second/third generation followers of this movement. We took the good fortune to speak with three of the four members of the group – vocalist Tim Jensen, drummer James Nicademus, and guitarist Konstadin Kostadinov – about everything from the work behind the latest effort, special guest appearances from members of Exodus, Death Angel, and Paladin, thoughts on the local scene, how other industry work has benefited the band’s outlook and business practices, favorite albums/concert experiences, future touring plans for 2025-26 and more.
Dead Rhetoric: Product of the Environment is the second full-length for Misfire – and first with the current incarnation of the band. How did the songwriting and recording sessions go for this set of material – and where do you see the biggest differences / growth in this record compared to your 2021 Sympathy for the Ignorant outing?
Tim Jensen: We recorded these songs in Atlanta, Georgia with a guy named John Douglass and his assistant Alex Parra. It was a major difference from the first record. The first record was done as a three-piece and I wasn’t a part of it – neither was our current guitar player or bass player. James was the only one that was a part of the first record, and that album was recorded as a demo in a home studio. We worked with some people that have a massive repertoire of people they’ve worked with. They were really on the ball.
I would like to say that the songs are a lot more groovier than the first record. The first record was more of a thrash thing. This album has thrash elements, it’s got groove elements, it’s got a little bit of punk into it. It’s got a nice blend of everything.
James Nicademus: For me, the biggest thing is we spent a lot more time on the pre-production. We recorded all the songs one time together before going into the studio. We had all the tempos mapped out; we had everything pretty much how it ended up. We had a couple of things that got changed arrangement-wise. It was a lot more thought out, and the result ended up being massively stronger because of the planning that went into it. The guys practiced their asses off, and I think it shows on each of these tracks. Just how confident everyone became over the process.
There’s that, and also songwriting-wise I wanted to be a little more straightforward and to the point. I wanted more hooks in there, personal and more relatable lyrics. When you as a listener hear this, you can feel like (what we write about) too. It was more of a focused thing – and with the new team it’s been an absolute treat.
Dead Rhetoric: Tell us about the guest appearances with members of Exodus, Death Angel, and Paladin that appear on tracks like “Left for Dead” and the title track – do you believe these spots aid curiosity into your work, and what have these musicians meant to you with their main body of discography over the years?
Nicademus: It’s a massive help when people that are relevant in the industry and have been doing this for a long time give you that help. It’s a great thing for us to have these types of names on the record for us. It’s a huge help; we are honored and grateful. For me personally, I’m a massive fan of Exodus and having Rob Dukes on this record, the singer who when I was originally in high school his era was in full swing. That’s the Exodus that got me into Exodus. To have him on the record, it’s a pinch me moment. The little kid version of me would be like ‘really – oh my god!’. I’m taken aback by it; it hasn’t really settled in for me as of yet. Same with Rob from Death Angel – he’s a massive influence on all of us. To have both those guys on the record is huge.
And Alex is a great guitar player. I wasn’t super familiar with his playing before we did this record with him. He was a massive help in some of the production of the guitar solos, so it was to the point where I was like, why don’t you play one? He did, and I think it’s one of my favorite moments on the record, having those three guitar solos on the end product, I didn’t expect a super epic guitar solo section and now we have that.
Jensen: It was incredible to have these guys as a part of the record. Obviously, these are bigger names, and they helped create the genre that Misfire plays in. It was a confidence boost that they were willing to lend their names and their talents to our record. If these guys are willing to be on this (record), then maybe we have something here.
Konstadin Kostadinov: It’s a dream come true. They gave us a lot of confidence. They take things to the next level.
Dead Rhetoric: The song “We Went Through Hell” chronicles the near breakup of Misfire when you lost former singer Jay Johnson prior to a tour you had set up with Warbringer. What circumstances took place that led to his departure, and how did you end recovering – was it through personal resolve and tenacity that you would not let the band die out this quickly?
Nicademus: Well, the band started before him. We had a guitar player/ singer prior to that. Jay Johnson took over when that guy left – his name was Tommy Denniger. He and I started this band back in 2018. Leading into that, I don’t want to get too much into exactly what went on – there were issues going on where Jay wasn’t capable of leaving home for too long. Being in a band at this level, we have to be able to leave, it’s what you signed up for. I wasn’t going to let some stupid decision-making affect my life. I’m going to do this whether you like it or not. This is my art, this is my music, this is everything I’ve ever wanted. It’s everything I know – and you are not taking this away from me. That’s what this song is about – it’s me letting it out of myself. You tried to fuck me over, without even knowing it, no way dude- that’s not going to happen.
Dead Rhetoric: You chose to record this album with no auto-tuning or click tracks. How important has it been to capture the authentic nature of Misfire – and do you believe this will help you stand out next to others in the modern scene when it comes to recordings?
Nicademus: That bit of information I believe is from the first record. We didn’t use auto-tune on this one, but we did use click tracks. However the way we used click tracks, they were complex. We did demos, and we recorded every song once. We did all that without click tracks, so we would capture the perfect, natural tempos. Then we made a tempo map, and recorded to that tempo map. It felt like a natural, perfect version of what we would have done anyway. Now we have a grid to look at to know if we were off or we were on, where things naturally would have been. A much more thought-out approach to it. As far as autotune is concerned, Tim naturally kills it, he doesn’t need it.
Dead Rhetoric: You recently showcased on Facebook the background information about your latest video shoot. What can you tell us about this, any special memories surrounding the shoot?
Jensen: We shot a video for “Left For Dead”, which does feature Rob Dukes on it. We have him in the video; he shot his parts out in Arizona. Our guy edited him into the video. The video was shot at Joliet Iron Works – it looks like it’s crumbled to the ground like a warzone, so what a perfect environment to make a heavy metal music video. The video is pretty much the band jamming live, and there are flashing parts where I’m not myself, more of a homeless / mental patient vibe wandering through this warzone, freaking out.
When we shot it, we were trying to get sick footage of me freaking out, pretending to bash my head on the wall and stuff. Unfortunately, I smacked my head as hard as I could, right on a stone wall. I was pretty convinced I got a concussion, but I still remembered where I was at. I had beers with the guys after the shoot and ended up being okay the next day. There is a clip of me and bam…
Nicademus: I have a clip of that that maybe down the line we should show people. He didn’t let things affect him, even in character. He smacked into a brick wall and kept going. All in the name of metal.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ll be a part of the Swarm of Horror tour in the US this spring headlined by Exodus with Havok also on the bill. What are your thoughts on this package and your hopes to bring Misfire into more of the fold with your sound?
Jensen: This is a dream come true for all of us in this band. All of us grew up on Exodus, and we watched Havok start from the ground up. I remember when Havok was on the Time Is Up tour, a former band I was in opened up for them. They were touring with Forbidden as one of the opening acts, I knew they were growing year by year. It was very inspiring to watch them grow over the last 12 to 15 years. Now we are going to be the band touring right underneath them, and closing out the night is one of the biggest thrash metal bands in history. It’s a great opportunity; I know thousands of bands would love this opportunity. We are very lucky to have this opportunity.
Nicademus: Hopefully since we are on an all-thrash bill, these fans of the other bands are going to like us. I hope that people will dig it.
Kostadinov: This could be the thrash metal tour of the year.
Nicademus: Yes, absolutely. I wish it could be a little bit longer.
Dead Rhetoric: Being a part of the Midwest / Illinois metal scene, do you believe that the network of bands, venues, promoters, and supporters keep the movement healthy in a variety of subgenres beyond the thrash style that you deliver? Who are some other up and coming artists that we need to pay attention to from your area?
Nicademus: I think the promoters are doing a really good job here. There are a lot of venues, and a lot of independent venues which is important. That’s my day job; I work at one of those independent venues. I see a lot of what comes in and what comes out. There are a ton of death metal shows, progressive shows. Some thrash shows too. It’s a good scene; people are actively coming out to shows and supporting things. It’s very much alive. Molder are on Prosthetic, they are buddies of ours. We have Texas Toast Chainsaw Massacre, who just got signed also and are doing a tour. Maybe Wraith.
Jensen: I enjoy a band called Backlash, they are thrash band, good buddies of ours.
Nicademus: It’s definitely growing, it reminds me of back in 2007-08, the old new wave of thrash was happening. It’s the same thing happening right now, which is super sick.
Dead Rhetoric: What do you consider some of the biggest challenges facing Misfire at this point in your career?
Nicademus: It’s like what did they say in Spaceballs? Spaceballs 2 – the search for more money! (laughs). The financing of a band at this level is extremely difficult. And that is always going to be a thing. The way that you the person reading this can help bands is support the music, listen to the stuff – but what really helps is when you buy a ticket to the show, buy some merch, because it allows us to come back again. If we don’t have anyone to take that area for us, supporters of us, there’s a good chance that we aren’t going to make it. That’s the same thing for any band that you listen to. The reality is we pay x amount for gas, x amount for hotels, and by the end of it what you have left, maybe you can pay your rent, maybe you can’t. It’s hard.
Dead Rhetoric: Previous to this group, Jim was a part of Diamond Plate for almost a decade. Were there any key takeaways about that band in terms of recording or live performances that you have been able to apply in Misfire to make things more unique, special, or different?
Nicademus: I would say stay true to where you start. The biggest mistake we made with Diamond Plate is we tried to shift genres way too fast. The first record was super thrash; the second record was thrash mixed with 70s rock and some psychedelic stuff. It didn’t transfer over as well as I would have liked. Stay heavy is what I learned. That and don’t buy an RV. It’s going to break down. All the other things you learn on tour – don’t get too hammered.
Dead Rhetoric: What are some of the most common mistakes or missteps you see other musicians / artists make in the metal scene? What do you think has been one of the biggest lessons you have learned over the years in that regard?
Nicademus: I’ll say one thing – don’t put anything on a record that you can’t play live. That’s my number one. I hear a lot of bands do that – and it makes them look like they don’t know what they are doing.
Kostadinov: When bands overproduce some songs – they can’t bring that live experience. When they end up needing backing tracks to get the full sound.
Jensen: Tracks are always a turn off – try to play the music always live if you can. What is the point? Don’t lie to people.
Nicademus: Maybe another one is making your live show too complicated. Bringing in a million lights, a computer to run your clicks, all this nonsense. For a band like us, we want to get up there, play metal, and then get off stage. Less is best.
Dead Rhetoric: If you had the ability to create a high school or college-level course to teach on any subject matter outside of your expertise as a musician, what type of course would you create and why do you think this subject matter is important for younger people to learn/absorb?
Jensen: I would say history. Especially being from the United States of America, our history. Facts seem to be changing, it’s rough out there, I don’t think it’s anything new. We need to take a step back and look at the course of history just repeating itself. This isn’t the first time it’s seemed like the world is melting.
Kostadinov: I agree with Tim. Everything has already been done. It’s just different names, different people, different characters. You can see whatever you want to do and how things are done through the past.
Nicademus: Instead of a lesson in violence, we have a lesson in history. (laughs)
Dead Rhetoric: How have you handled the loss of your mother James last year between yourself and your family? What do you miss most about her, and was she always supportive of your musical endeavors?
Nicademus: Damn, that’s a rough question. I want to be able to call her and tell her what’s going on. That’s the hardest part. My sister just had a baby also recently, so that’s really hard. I wasn’t expecting that question, damn. She was my everything, and she always will be. It’s never going to go away. That’s part of the perspective I now have, and I can use that to my advantage. I wish I could just call her. Using that pain is something that I’ve always been able to channel. Life hits you; you have to hit back harder.
Dead Rhetoric: You work as a lighting technician for a career – gaining the opportunity to tour overseas for your work beyond handling things in North America and with the 70K Tons of Metal cruise. Tell us about some of your favorite experiences and takeaways you’ve learned on that end of things – does it give you more insight into how relationships flow behind the scenes and the professionalism that is involved to get things just right that maybe the average person doesn’t see?
Nicademus: 100%. That’s part of one of the things I bring to the table with this band. I know how all this shit works, and I’ve seen it. I have been around people that do this at a way higher level, that have been nice enough to share a little bit of how it works. Going to Europe, I’ve never been on a ferry before and I was on a ferry for something like 26 hours, wherever to wherever. This is what I could eventually be doing if I get our (stuff) together. I am a production manager for a venue too, so I’ve seen thousands of contracts. I know bullshit when I see it, so that’s going to help us out. It’s a massive advantage. I have to thank Frank Mastalerz our manager for giving me all the support in the world – pretty much my whole life since we met. He was our manager for Diamond Plate as well. If I didn’t have that guidance, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now, for sure.
Dead Rhetoric: What are three metal albums that are essential listens to shape your tastes in the genre – and what’s your favorite concert memory, attending the show as a fan – plus what made that show so special/memorable to you?
Nicademus: My first concert ever that changed my eyes was Gigantour 2005 with Megadeth, Nevermore, Fear Factory, Arch Enemy might have been on that. Seeing Nevermore, Dream Theater, and Megadeth – they were massive influences for me and totally blew me away. Releases – Metallica – Master of Puppets. I heard St. Anger first, but then Master of Puppets hit me hard. Opeth – Deliverance or Ghost Reveries, Blackwater Park, one of those. And then maybe like Death – Symbolic. That’s a massive one – you want to play some double bass, here you go! It’s all over the record, it’s insane. And that’s one of those records that I practiced with religiously growing up.
Jensen: The Great Southern Trendkill by Pantera. That was huge for me. Phil the vocalist did some screaming on that one. Youthanasia by Megadeth. Killer record. I am a metal guy, but I’m also into rock and roll and that’s a perfect mix of both. I’ll close out with Master of Puppets. A concert memory that stuck out for me, my second concert ever was Velvet Revolver. I saw them front row center at the All-State Arena. I’ll never forget as I was five feet away from bassist Duff McKagan. The lights are down, he nodded and winked at me. I’ll never forget the emotions that evoked in me. I wanted to play music to eventually give some kid that feeling I had, that would be the end game.
Kostadinov: The concert that stands out to me was my first thrash metal concert ever was actually Exodus. In 2012 I saw this in Macedonia where I am originally from – it changed my life. I arrived there early, I helped them load in, moving their guitar cases. I met Rob Dukes and took a picture with him and Jack the bass player. It’s unbelievable to me that I’m going to go on tour with them. As for top three albums, Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. That’s my first album that opened the metal world to me. Megadeth – Rust in Peace. And the last Death album, The Sound of Perseverance. That opened a lot of doors for me in the music world, playing-wise.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for Misfire over the next twelve months to support the new record? Are there specific goals or benchmarks you want to establish before the end of the promotional cycle?
Nicademus: We want to hit Europe before we do the next record. We plan on doing another US tour, hopefully do two full US runs and some shows or a tour in Europe. Maybe Canada, or one of those metal boats. That’s what we are going to look at. We are going to push this record for a good year and a half, maybe two years before we release another record. Hopefully it picks up and we can keep rocking and rolling.