FOZZY
Sin And Bones
Century Media (2012)
Rating: 5/10
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This one time glorified cover band, has made a serious run on becoming a force in metal music over the last couple albums. Featuring wrestler Chris Jericho (once known as Mongoose McQueen) on vocals and lead guitarist / songwriter Rich Ward (Stuck Mojo / ex-Adrenaline Mob) alongside drummer Frank Fontsere (Stuck Mojo), rhythm guitarist Billy Grey and bassist Paul Di Leo (ex-Adrenaline Mob), the band inked a deal with iconic metal label Century Media for Sin And Bones. Whether or not this helps establish the band as an entity to be taken seriously, only time will tell, but it can’t hurt at all, right?
If nothing else, Fozzy have certainly grown up a lot since their faux back story debut album hit streets in 2000. Sin And Bones is full of some hard-edged rockers, bordering on metal here and there, most notably with ‘Blood Happens’ and the 11-minute plus epic ‘Storm The Beaches’.
The hard-edged rockers dominate the album though, starting with the bouncy ‘Spider In My Mouth’, which ushers the listener into the album. While the verses come off a bit cheesy, the chorus is pretty awesome with a nice sing-along vocal that spirals into a cutting guitar riff. The first single, ‘Sandpaper’, comes off as a less refined version of ‘Spider In My Mouth’, leaving one to wonder how it possibly got picked to be the lead single.
‘She’s My Addiction’ has a nice jangly blues rock feel to it that reminds me a bit of bands like Bang Tango and L.A. Guns, only a bit more hard-hitting. You can almost picture a long, curly-haired guitarist with a flowery shirt smiling as lights flash behind and the camera goes in circles around him. There are a couple of ballsy ballads here that I was surprised to find are the highlights.
‘Inside My Head’ boasts a spectacular performance by Jericho proving just how much of a powerhouse vocalist he has become over the years. It’s got a very emotional tinge to it while keeping out of the cheesy turf that much of the album comes near to treading. The heavier ‘A Passed Life’ borders on haunting and the rhythm section changes it up a bit bringing a different vibe to the album, one that’s a bit darker and more intricate sounding.
This is the first Fozzy album where the good outweighs the bad. What it really comes down to though is whether or not you enjoy Rich Ward’s songwriting. Much of his catalogue sounds very similar, so if you don’t like Stuck Mojo or Adrenaline Mob’s material then Fozzy’s Sin And Bones won’t do much to change your mind. It’s a little more straightforward maybe, but still has that nu-metal bounce that Ward innovated so many years ago. Overall, this album is slightly above the pack as far as Fozzy albums go but still not extremely memorable aside for a track or two.
Mark Fisher
