Still Burning: Frank Pané on Sainted Sinners, Bonfire, and the Fire That Never Fades

Still Burning: Frank Pané on Sainted Sinners, Bonfire, and the Fire That Never Fades

🔥Few guitarists embody the spirit of hard rock quite like Frank Pané. Whether shredding stages worldwide with Bonfire or channeling pure passion through his own band Sainted Sinners, Pané has carved out a career defined by relentless energy, timeless riffs, and a love for classic rock that refuses to dim.

With Sainted Sinners’ new album High on Fire set to ignite fans this November, and Bonfire’s Higher Ground already making waves, Frank sat down with us — mid‑tour, no less — to talk about the grind of life on the road, the creative fire behind his projects, and why rock and roll remains the ultimate escape.

From the inspiration behind fiery new singles to reflections on past milestones, Pané proves that after decades in the business, the flame is still burning strong.

We’re here with Frank Pané from Sainted Sinners and Bonfire. You’re currently on tour with Bonfire — how has the tour been going so far, and what have been some of the highlights?
It’s been going great. The schedule is pretty intense — this is our eighth show in a row, with another five still to come — so it’s a little exhausting, but also fantastic. The audiences have been amazing, and the response has been really strong. We can’t complain! The first show in the Czech Republic was a real highlight, and I’m looking forward to tonight’s performance.

It looks like immediately after the Bonfire tour you’ll be heading out with Sainted Sinners. What are you most looking forward to about those shows?
Sainted Sinners is a band I founded back in 2016 — you could say it’s my baby. The idea was to play exactly the kind of music I love: classic melodic hard rock in the style of my favorite bands like Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake. So, whenever we get the chance to tour, promote a new album, and play our own songs, it’s a great feeling. I’m really looking forward to it.

The new album is called High on Fire. Is there an overall story or concept behind that title?
Honestly, the title came together with the cover artwork. At first, I was going to call it something simple like Album Five or Number Five. But once we saw the artwork, we started experimenting with different titles that included fire or flames. Jack, our singer, suggested High on Fire, and it just clicked. It fits the artwork perfectly and also reflects the creativity and energy within the band — the fire that drives us to keep making music. Even though we’ve all been in this business for decades, we’re still hungry to create new songs, and the title captures that spirit.

Let’s talk about the single World’s on Fire. What was the inspiration behind that song?
Musically, it was one of those songs that just happened. Sometimes I’ll be on tour or at home jamming on the guitar, and riffs come out of nowhere. Within half an hour, the song is written — it almost writes itself. That was the case here. As for the lyrics, Jack writes them all, and he wanted to reflect what’s happening in the world right now. The world feels like it’s on fire, with so many negative things going on. But we wanted to balance that perspective with a positive musical vibe — to remind people that even though times are tough, better days will come, and there’s still rock and roll to enjoy. That’s the message of the song.

And what about the other single, Out of the Blue?
Out of the Blue was one of the very first songs we wrote for this album. Lyrically, it’s meant to carry very positive vibes. I always say we’re the kind of band where, if you come to a show or listen to the album, you should just have a good time. It’s rock and roll in the most classic sense — entertainment, enjoyment, and a chance to forget about the stresses of daily life. The song encourages listeners to live every day to the fullest, to embrace life “out of the blue,” and just enjoy themselves.

Your cover of Who Are You by The Who is absolutely amazing. I didn’t think anyone could pull it off, but you guys made it sound fantastic. What made you decide to cover that song?
To be honest, it’s been a while since we worked on that cover because it was originally for the previous album. I’m not even sure if it was our idea or if the label suggested doing a cover as a bonus track. We had a few songs in mind — one was Who Are You, another was R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion. On the last album, Taste It, we ended up using the R.E.M. cover. So The Who track was still sitting there, and we thought, “This is actually a great take on the song.”

The original has that progressive, jammy middle section, but we gave it a more straight-ahead hard rock vibe. We always try to choose covers that aren’t the obvious picks — songs we can rework to give them our own style. Who Are You is a classic in its original form, but I think our arrangement gave it a fresh edge, and we’re really happy with how it turned out.

How did Jack from Tygers of Pan Tang become involved with Sainted Sinners? And is it difficult to coordinate his schedule with yours?
Yeah, that’s always a challenge. It’s actually one of the reasons this album took longer than expected. Our original plan was to release it in 2023 — we had already started recording some of the songs then. But between Jack’s schedule with Tygers, my commitments with Bonfire, and Ernesto’s work with Gotthard, it took longer than we thought.

On the other hand, we didn’t want to rush it. We wanted to be sure we were really happy with the outcome. As much as Sainted Sinners is a real band — 100% commitment, full heart from everyone — it’s still a side project in terms of the time we can dedicate. So we have to find those little gaps between tours to make it work. But when we do, it’s always a lot of fun, and we enjoy it to the fullest.

Would Bonfire and Sainted Sinners ever want to tour together, or has that already happened?
There was actually a festival in France two or three years ago where it almost happened — both bands were set to play on the same bill. Unfortunately, the festival was canceled just weeks before. But for me, it would be totally fine. I’d love to play with both bands, and I think musically they’d fit together well. The Bonfire audience would enjoy Sainted Sinners, and vice versa. So who knows — maybe one day it will happen. That would be great.

Bonfire also has a new album out, Higher Ground. How do you think it compares to the other Bonfire releases?
Higher Ground is the first album with our new singer, Dyan Mair, so it’s definitely different from the ones before. It turned out to be a real band effort — even more so than previous records. Everyone contributed creatively, and you can hear the chemistry in the songs. I’m very proud of it, and the reviews have been excellent.

Of course, Bonfire today is different than in the ’80s. Decades have passed, new members have joined with different influences, so naturally the sound evolves. But I think Higher Ground is the best album we’ve done since I joined the band 11 years ago.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Glorious, the first Bonfire album you played on. Looking back, what do you think of that record now?
Yes, Glorious was my first album with Bonfire. Compared to the others, it’s the one where I had the least input — the songs were already written when I joined, and most of the guitars were already recorded. I just added lead guitar parts and solos. So in that sense, it’s a little different for me.  But I still think it’s a very good album with some great songs. The records that came after are closer to my heart because I was more involved in the writing. Still, Glorious is a cool album, and I’m proud to have been part of it.

Back in 2002 you released Deception of Pain with Valleys Eve, but there hasn’t been anything since. Is Valleys Eve still active, and what do you think of your work with that band?
The band is definitely not active anymore, but I’m still in touch with Lia (R.D. Liapakis), our singer, who now also sings for Michael Schenker. Whenever we meet, we talk about the possibility of doing another Valleys Eve album one day. Who knows — why not? For me, Deception of Pain was basically my first album, so it means a lot to me. I think it’s a great record — powerful, progressive metal with a lot of energy. If the timing was right and everyone had the availability, I’d definitely be up for another Valleys Eve album.

You’re also in a cover band called Lady Evyl, a Black Sabbath tribute band with your wife Lydia. Tell me about that project, and what Ozzy and Black Sabbath mean to you both.
Sabbath has always been one of my biggest influences. What I love about them is the different eras — the classic ’70s Ozzy era, then Ronnie James Dio with landmark albums like Heaven and Hell, and even the Tony Martin era, which is often overlooked. With such a diverse catalog, it’s really exciting to play these songs.

One challenge with Sabbath tribute bands is that with a male singer, you can usually cover Ozzy well, but then Dio’s songs are harder, and vice versa. We decided to take a different approach by using a female vocalist, which gives the songs a completely fresh perspective. I’ve never wanted to be in a “copy band” — I want to play these songs with respect, but also in our own way. That makes it more interesting for the audience too. Lydia, my wife, is a huge fan of Ronnie James Dio and Tony Martin, so it’s a perfect fit.

Is there any chance of Bonfire or Sainted Sinners making their way to the States for shows? Have you been to the U.S. before?
Unfortunately not yet, but it’s definitely one of my goals. My wife and I actually got married in Las Vegas — very rock and roll style — and we loved our time there. We’d really like to come back, whether with Bonfire or Sainted Sinners. For me personally, playing in the U.S. with Sainted Sinners would be incredible.

I know we have fans there — people often write to me asking when we’ll come over. Logistically, it’s not easy, with all the organization and costs involved. A few times it’s been close, especially with Bonfire, but something always fell through. Fingers crossed it will happen one day.

Do you have any messages for your fans in the States, both Bonfire and Sainted Sinners supporters?
Absolutely. To everyone who supports us — whether by listening to our music, watching our videos, or buying physical products — thank you so much. You’re helping to keep real rock and roll alive. I hope one day we can meet all our U.S. fans in person, whether with Bonfire or Sainted Sinners.

Please check out the new albums: Bonfire’s Higher Ground came out in January, and Sainted Sinners’ High on Fire will be released on November 21st. If you’re into physical products, grab the vinyl or CD — it’s a completely different experience, with the artwork and lyrics. But even if you stream it, we’re grateful. Every bit of support makes it more likely that we’ll be able to come over and play some rock and roll for you guys.

IN CONCLUSION

As our conversation with Frank Pané comes to a close, one thing is clear: whether he’s tearing up stages with Bonfire, channeling pure passion through Sainted Sinners, or reimagining the classics with Lady Evyl, his fire for music continues to burn brighter than ever. With Higher Ground already making waves and High on Fire poised to ignite fans worldwide, Pané shows no signs of slowing down. For audiences in the U.S. and beyond, the promise of future tours is a beacon of hope — a reminder that rock and roll is alive, well, and waiting to be celebrated together. Until then, Frank’s message is simple: keep the flame alive, spin the records loud, and never stop believing in the power of music.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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