Hailing from just outside of Detroit, MI, BAT ON FIRE blends hard rock, progressive metal, and classical music theory with original stories based on human history to create a truly unique musical experience. Compared to revered artists such as Avenged Sevenfold, Mastodon, Tool, Pantera, Iron Maiden, System Of A Down, The Mars Volta, and many more, this intelligent gang electrifies every crowd, ev...ery time.
Formed
in June 2006 by music producer/engineer and session drummer John Kowaleski (30)
and hip-hop vocalist Karlos Kowaleski (26), BAT ON FIRE began as a way for the
two brothers to just enjoy working together after years of pursuing different
musical paths. BOF (as they are commonly known) grew into something bigger than
imagined after adding guitarist virtuoso and singer-songwriter Michael Hopper
(22) and session and funk bassist John “Wolf “ Abel (29) of the 2011 Detroit
Music Awards People’s Choice winners, The Infatuations. “John and I had been
wanting to play and write with each other for years, and the timing was just
right,” says Wolf, “But the final piece of the puzzle was Joe.” Wolf refers to
Joe Allen (25), BAT ON FIRE’s soft spoken guitarist and the glue of the rhythm
section who says, “I love being around great musicians, and working with these
guys is nothing short of amazing.”BAT ON FIRE have financed and released two full-length albums The Death Of Solomon Scarlett [2007] and Escape From Hades [2009], plus an EP The Raft Of The Medusa [2010], entirely DIY with the support of their fans, friends, and family. With each new release, the band goes deeper musically and lyrically; they demand your attention, but they don’t require it. Detroit fans gather in the hundreds at a BOF live event because they know they are guaranteed two things: non-stop energy and undeniable talent. “Everything for me culminated when we headlined the Crofoot Ballroom [Pontiac , MI] in August 2010. Mastodon sold it out just one year previous, and now we did it, too, ” says Karlos Kowaleski. “I knew then that anything is possible.”
Rachel May, music columnist for the Detroit Free Press says of the Crofoot Ballroom show “The show was outstanding; the band sounded great. Aside from how great the band was, I was really impressed with the amount of work that went into the show. I could
tell BAT ON FIRE put a lot of thought into the whole presentation and put a lot
of effort in to make it an awesome show and I respect that. From the first song
to the last, it was a flawless performance. I could see the excitement in their
faces, and I loved seeing that. There's a lot of arrogance in Detroit; guys get
up on stage and expect a reaction but BAT ON FIRE didn't do that and got the
reaction anyway. It's very nice to see. I'm a fan and a believer in what BAT ON
FIRE are doing right now and I wish them all the success in the world."BAT ON FIRE is currently in the final writing and recording process for their upcoming full-length album based on Jack The Ripper, and will be booking regional tours in support of its release. The album is scheduled for release this year, but the band is reticent to commit to a date at this time. When asked about his feelings regarding the overwhelming anticipation from fans for BAT ON FIRE’s newest offering, drummer John Kowaleski simply pauses and replies, “You can’t rush greatness.”
