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June 2020 has been a momentous month for Buckcherry. The stalwarts of the American rock scene were celebrating on many fronts, check out these numbers; third studio album “15” was certified double platinum by the RIAA for overall sales of 2 million units, at the same time, the track “Crazy Bitch” was certified quadruple platinum for overall sales of over 4 million units and the track “Sorry” was certified double platinum for overall sales of over 2 million units. Pretty damn impressive stats there. And to top a month-to-remember off, the band is set to unleash their ninth studio album “Hellbound”, their first for new label Earache Records.
Watching Buckcherry in action during their UK tour in 2019 was like rolling back the years to the first time the California outfit blessed these shores with their presence. Incendiary, snotty, impossible to ignore, and great fun. As Sean Bean might say in the infamous Lord of The Rings meme: “One does not stand at the back during a Buckcherry gig…”, put Josh Todd, Stevie D, and company up against any band and they will give them a run for their money. Buckcherry are one of those bands born to be on the live stage, and ‘Hellbound’ begins with an almighty statement of intent with the opening one-two of ‘54321’ and ‘So Hott’. ‘54321’ is a snot-filled, amphetamine-paced shitkicker with snarling vocals from the evergreen Josh Todd, pumping bass drum action, and a killer groove from guitarist Stevie D (the perfect foil for Josh Todd; the Joe Perry to his Steven Tyler, the Keef Richards to his Mick Jagger), ably assisted by brother-in-arms Billy Rowe; ‘So Hott’ has a great swing to it thanks to the backbone of the band, bassist Kelly LeMieux and drummer Francis Ruiz, and as bizarre as it might sound, the guitar licks that Stevie D lays down sound like The Edge if he beefed up on steroids. Break the latter down, and the track shows all the hallmarks of the Motown/soul influence that runs through the Buckcherry sound. A track that you can bust a move to with fear of looking like a total tit.
The title track is tailor-made for the live setting, AC/DC-like drum beats, an Angus Young-influenced guitar solo to-die-for, and a song that just makes you want to bounce. This one is going to totally slay audiences everywhere, as will the Aerosmith-strut of ‘Gun’, that harmonica, coupled with the Brad Whitford ‘Last Child’-style licks – oh my, it’s party time. ‘No More Lies’ is a funky little number and the splashes of Ska give it a Summer anthem-in-the-making vibe, whereas ‘Here I Come’ is more fast-paced and urgent. ‘Junk’ is a cautionary tale of how once your junk is out there for all to see, it can’t be unseen, so keep your junk stowed away. It’s gritty, with some killer riffage that brings to mind the guitar work on ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ by the Eagles, but amped to the max.
‘Wasting No More Time’ is more laid-back and along with ‘The Way’, is Buckcherry playing it cool and at their most restrained. ‘The Way’ is beautiful. Ballads can split the room 50/50 but this one is beautiful. Inspired by The Beatles, it’s a piano-driven, heartfelt tale of “…loss, love and forgiveness…” played at a gentle pace, with an emotion-filled outro from Josh Todd that gets better with each listen. Ending on the glorious riffage of ‘Barricade’ (which features multiple changes in style just to keep the listener on their toes), ‘Hellbound’ is more proof that Buckcherry is continuing the rich vein of form that they have been on for the last few years. Full of piss and vinegar in a way that many of their contemporaries lack, Buckcherry has no intentions of slowing down just yet.
Available June 25th via Earache Records, more information, here.
BUCKCHERRY ON TOUR:
11/29 — Milton Keynes, ENGLAND — Craufurd Arms
11/30 — Leeds, ENGLAND — Warehouse
12/1 — Blackpool, ENGLAND — Waterloo Music Bar
12/3 — London, ENGLAND — Islington Academy
12/4 — Nuneaton, ENGLAND — Queen’s Hall
12/5 — Newcastle, ENGLAND — Riverside
12/7 — Manchester, ENGLAND — Academy 2
12/8 — Chester, ENGLAND — Live Rooms
12/10 — Wolverhampton, ENGLAND — KK’s Steel Mill
12/11 — Southampton, ENGLAND — Engine Rooms
12/12 — Cardiff, WALES — Tramshed
Live image – Dave Jamieson
