HIRAES – Under Fire (Official Video) | Napalm Records

Napalm Records Unleashes Hiraes’ “Under Fire”

Hiraes enter the fray with “Under Fire,” the lead single and official video heralding the arrival of the band’s debut album, Solitary, out June 25 via Napalm Records. It is a clear statement of intent from a group forged in the flames of European melodic death metal, pairing searing aggression with melodic clarity and a modern, hard-hitting production sheen.

A First Salvo

As the band put it, “Under Fire” is a “monumental melodic death metal neckbreaker,” built from “catchy and melodic-melancholic parts,” “groovy headbang passages,” and “fast up-tempo drumming.” That self-assessment is borne out across the song’s tight arrangement, which moves decisively between surging tremolo lines, precision riffing, and a chorus shaped for live impact. It stands as a formidable first impression of Solitary, showcasing the band’s focus on immediacy and muscle without sacrificing nuance.

Sound, Structure, and Musicianship

“Under Fire” hinges on twin-guitar interplay, a hallmark of melodic death metal that Hiraes handle with command. Harmonic leads carve a strong melodic spine, answered by thick, palm-muted rhythm work that shifts between galloping sixteenth-note runs and brutish mid-tempo chugs. The drumming leans into relentless double-kick patterns with razor-edged precision, using quick fills and sharp cymbal work to pivot the song from verse drive to chorus lift. The low end remains present and supportive, locking into the kick drum to give the riffs heft without muddying the mix.

The arrangement favors momentum. An assertive verse brings the heat early, then opens into a chorus that stretches the harmony without softening the attack. A guitar break lands mid-song with harmonized lines that nod to the genre’s lineage, followed by a heavier, groove-forward passage designed to snap necks. Transitions feel deliberate, avoiding abrupt swerves in favor of through-lines that keep the temperature rising.

Vocal Power and Lyric Focus

The vocal delivery is commanding, with a deep, full-bodied growl that prioritizes articulation and phrasing. Rather than leaning on sheer harshness, the performance rides the riff and shapes the song’s dynamics, switching from sustained roars to percussive cadences that mirror the drums and guitar accents.

Lyrically, “Under Fire” centers on resilience, self-reclamation, and transformation through adversity. Lines like “Under fire, we must die to be reborn” and “Break free from the past and burn those bridges to the ground” locate the song in the classic melodeath intersection of defiance and catharsis. The text pushes back at gaslighting and scapegoating — “They call you traitor, words like knives” — while insisting on inner strength and solidarity: “My friend, you will never walk alone.” The imagery of flames operates as both threat and catalyst, framing rebirth not as a passive outcome but as an act of will: “Become the fire, set the world alight.”

The Video: Heat, Steel, and Precision

The official video underlines the song’s intensity with a stripped-back, performance-focused aesthetic. Directed and produced by Black Vision Films, it places the band in a high-contrast, industrial-tinged environment where fire and light are key narrative elements. Lighting design by Marius Thume sculpts the space with strobing highlights and shadow, while pyrotechnic effects by Feuerwerkdepot Nord, Lübeck, give the visuals a literal spark that mirrors the track’s lyrical arc.

Camera movement is kinetic but controlled, punching into the beat with tight cuts that track kick bursts, riff changes, and vocal entrances. The color palette leans into blacks, embers, and metallic tones, conveying a sense of pressure and endurance. Rather than telling a literal story, the edit translates the song’s structure into visceral imagery, accenting the chorus with brighter tonality and using heat and smoke to blur the edges during the song’s heaviest passages.

Production and Sonic Footprint

The production is resolutely modern, engineered for clarity at high volume. Guitars sit wide with a saturated crunch, while the lead lines retain enough midrange to carry the hooks. The kick drum is forward in the mix, providing the engine that drives the track’s tempo shifts, and the snare crack cuts decisively without overt harshness. Vocals ride above the density with measured compression and a slight edge, ensuring intelligibility through the thickest sections. The result is a mix that rewards both headphones and large speakers, balancing aggression with definition.

Within the Melodic Death Metal Continuum

“Under Fire” situates Hiraes within the established lineage of European melodic death metal, but the song’s emphasis on clarity, groove, and chorus architecture gives it a contemporary profile. The track draws from the style’s twin pillars — melody and extremity — and sharpens them into concise, repeatable impact. For listeners who value melodic motifs that actually linger after the distortion fades, this single delivers. It nods to classic forms while embracing the punch and precision expected of modern heavy records.

Why This Single Lands

As a lead single, “Under Fire” achieves several key goals. It announces the band’s aesthetic with confidence, demonstrates compositional focus, and provides a visual companion that amplifies the song’s core message. Most importantly, it frames Solitary as an album likely to push hard on immediacy and replay value, with enough depth in both guitar work and lyrical theme to keep heavy rotation from feeling rote.

Credits

Label: Napalm Records
Album: Solitary (out June 25)
Video Production: Black Vision Films
Lighting: Marius Thume
Pyrotechnics: Feuerwerkdepot Nord, Lübeck

“Under Fire” sets a high bar for what follows, a sharpened blend of ferocity and melody that places Hiraes in the center of the current melodic death metal conversation. If the rest of Solitary matches this level, the band have stoked something worth watching burn bright.