MUSIC REVIEW: BUCKCHERRY – Hellbound

Label: Round Hill Music

Release Date: June 25, 2021

Rating: 94%

Reviewer: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

Buckcherry does it time and time again; creating rock that is fun, exciting, and accessible.  The bands latest offering is no different.  Disc opener “54321” smashes down the door and smacks you right in the mouth with its attitude, cadence, and overall rock feel.  The guitars are solid and add to the bands legacy and sound while the vocals are everything we have come to know, love, and expect from the band.  Be sure to check out the guitar solo on the bridge and the succeeding bassline that drives the next verse and pre-chorus.  “So Hott” has a great percussion line and riff that opens the track and gets the foot tapping and head banging from the first notes.  The tracks cadence is a fun and explosive without running away from itself or the collection.  The vocal is contagious and draws you in like many of the bands classics.  “Gun” has a fun blues feel draped across it through the intro, but once Josh Todd’s vocals and Stevie D’s guitars join the fray, we are tossed straight into rock territory that swirls Buckcherry with minute flashes of side project Spraygun War thanks to the cadence of the vocal and the guitar driven melody of the track.  “Here I Come” brings us full circle into the guitar and drums driven rockers the band has made its staple.  The rhythm of the track is catchy and gets you moving in your seat with each strum of guitar, pounding of drum skins, and thumping bass line.  The vocal is fun and Josh keeps it fun and interesting as he leads us into the bridge, featuring another hot lead from Stevie D.  “Wasting No More Time” dials the intensity back a bit without sacrificing any of the rock quotient or the energy  The vocal has a sing-song style about it, thanks to an almost spoken part verse.  The layers of the track compliment each other giving the band and disc another cool song that should hold up against most tracks in their catalog.

Title track “Hell Bound” has a simple rock and roll vibe woven into its musical DNA that takes me back to “Lit Up” compliments of the killer bass lines and fretboard work.  This song was built for a live audience and the stage.  The drumming is tight and keeps the song flowing during transitions even when the stringed instruments take a break.  “No More Lies” takes a different approach to the rock sound Buckcherry normally delivers, but the funk and swagger in the mix adds depth to the collection and gives the band another musical weapon in its arsenal.  The song has a cool texture that supports a power ballad-ish vocal.  “Junk” comes across with an Aerosmith flare and sound that soon morphs into classic Buckcherry rock groove that features a cool lead vocal that matches intensity and rhythm with both the guitars and the bottom end.  The bridge is light and features different guitar runs and sounds that swirl together and play well with each other in the mix.  “The Way” is the longest track on the disc, but the time is well spent, taking us on a ride inside the head and heart of Josh as he uses his vocal to emotionally deliver a powerful lyric.  While this takes us back to other ballads from the bands history, this song does not come off as overdone or rehashed.  The piano and guitars support the track perfectly without drowning out other components or each other.  Disc closer “Barricade” unfolds and we get a different dimension and feel from the band that helps tie together the rest of the disc while adding some new feels without deviating from the path cut on this disc or the rest of the bands history.  There are sounds and grooves we have all come to know and love from Buckcherry and the consistency on this disc delivers.

Tracklisting: 54321 – So Hott – Hell Bound – Gun – No More Lies – Here I Come – Junk – Wasting No More Time – The Way – Barricade

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Category: CD Reviews