Bad Bones – High Rollers By Kevin Tanza

A lot of negative comments have been said about the effects of globalization due to the rise of the internet and the influence of illegal downloads in the music business, thus reducing the numbers of record sales. What is not often brought up is the fact that the music business now counts with a higher degree of exposure and bands from all over the world can have a much more significant influence.

One great example of what I just said is the Italian band Bad Bones, perennials rockers that have been gathering a lot of success recently and they are poised to become one of Hard Rock’s finest commodities in the coming years. Bad Bones already gathered a lot of attention and turned a lot of heads in 2017 after a pretty successful tour on the back of a great and solid album such as Demolition Derby.

Now they are back and High Rollers really goes to show what this band is all about: pure and straightforward Hard Rock music that has a lot of influence from the groups of the late 70s and the 80s scene while adding a modern twist to it. To put it bluntly: these guys acknowledge their influences and they’re not afraid of adding their own spin on that.

This is pretty clear once we listen to something like the opening track of this album, American Days, which has a lot of influence from the glory days of Glam in the 80s. You can almost feel at LA while listening to this track, with a very prominent bass line –as a bass junkie myself, I’ll admit that I really dig this element of the album’s production- and a very talented vocalist in Max Malmerenda, who could very well be singing in a band such as Ratt, Van Halen or Mötley Crüe.

Lost Again comes next and it has to be said that the 70s influence is clearly shown here, with the band going for a catchy chorus and often relying on hooks, which makes for an easy listening. Bad Bones are not here to be like Tool or Pain of Salvation, as great as those bands are; they are to offer you something simple and enjoyable, which is what Lost Again is.

Max is definitely one of the strongest elements of Bad Bones and they’re not afraid of using that to their advantage; this is particularly shown in a track like Wild Rose. Truthfully, it’s hard to perceive the band’s European heritage; they could very well be an American band from the late 80s, which is just fine by me because Wild Rose is an enjoyable track with fantastic vocal lines. Another aspect that is worth pointing out about this band is the element of variety; while they’re not prone of changing their sound in a radical manner, they are capable of doing this little shifts and twists to stay fresh–this is clearly shown in the drum intro of Midnight Riders, where the drummer, Lele Balocco, makes his presence known. The great thing about this song is that it shows each member in their best capacity, which is always something fun to hear in an album.

Another example of Bad Bones being a little bit more experimental with their sound is shown in Solitary Fields. While I think this track is a little bit weaker compared to what we have heard so far, I still think that this is a welcomed change because it maintains the album changed and effective. On the other hand, it’s not complicated to listen to that Ratt and Van Halen influence with Now or Never, when the band goes full Hard Rock here, thus achieving a sound that is clear (props to the production, by the way), fun and with a great hook when you listen to the chorus.

Blood Trails makes a bigger emphasis on that Van Halen influence and if you’re a fan of that band, then you’re in for a treat here. While it’s not the most sophisticated or original of tracks, it’s still a fun one to listen to (which is the ultimate goal in music, right?). We have the best solo in Wolf Town, which channels the inner Randy Rhoads that we all have and it makes for a very compelling listen; Bad Bones are not here to reinvent the wheel, but rather to make you party and enjoy yourself, which is the element that we all need in great music.

We have another interesting change when we listen to what it was done in Story of a Broken Bone. What is so great about this song is that somber feel that it has and the somewhat slower space; this makes for a very interesting listen and it gives you a greater understanding of what this band is capable of. Finally, the Italians decide to finish this adventure with a cover of Steve Miller’s fantastic song, Rock ‘N’ Me. Considering this band’s ethos, this is a great showcase of what they’re all about and it makes for a solid ending in classic Hard Rock way.

High Rollers is fun. Like, lots of fun. It’s not going to become a groundbreaking album nor it’s going to pave the way for a whole generation of musician, but it’s a solid work, with a clear notion of what these Italians wanted to do here and it delivers the goods with great hooks, direct and effective songwriting skills and a great focus on making enjoyable tracks. For that, Bad Bones have my respect.

Great album, great band.