Review: Bone Man - Shapeshifter

2015 has been a good year for Pink Tank records; so far they have given us fantastic LPs from Stonebirds, Kaleidobolt and the amazing Libido Fuzz album. As if that isn’t enough they are about to unleash another belter…..’Shapeshifter’ by Bone Man.

Bone Man are three dudes from Kiel, Germany who describe themselves as a ‘heavy tuned psych band’. Last year they unleashed their ‘Plastic Wasteland’ LP , a glorious, dark odyssey through the murky hinterland of psychedelic stoner rock, and frankly, a hard act to follow one would think.

Fear ye not, dear reader, for ‘Shapeshifter’ is a superlative LP, full of texture and variety and, of course, as heavy as hell in places. Title track ‘Shapeshifter’ is a fine way to kick off the album, some nice psych-ish guitar, sounding almost post-punk in places during the verse and then exploding into a grungey chorus. ‘Bad Fashion’ is a driving, pulsating track, with vocals that sound a little like Pete Murphy from Bauhaus…again it is a track that explodes into life after a slow burning intro and it has lovely psychedelic guitar work. “Wicker Man” is where it starts to get really interesting; vocally and structurally it is, for all intents and purposes, a traditional folk song but with the addition of more psych guitar and a thumping rhythm. ‘Desert’ sees the band channel their inner Misfits…Marian’s vocals really are reminiscent of Danzig era Misfits and the music is pure punk, a nice counterpoint to the folky stylings of the previous track. Interlude’ is just that…….a minute or so of soft strumming, followed by ‘Supernova’, a another grunge based track that would not sound out of place on a Soundgarden album. ‘Heliopolis’ has some strong psych overtones but again has a hint of folk, with the vocals again to the fore. The guitar hits heavy when it hits and is full of passion and verve. ‘Into The Green’ is a fuzzy stoner with some heavy psych vibes and a fine way to close an impressive piece of work.

There are many laudable aspects to this album; the musicianship is top notch throughout, the vocals are chameleonlike, morphing to fit in with the track and the album has been put together in a sensible and thoughtful manner that ensures a nice flow. What really impressed me is the sheer scope of the record, the band are not content to stick to a tried and tested formula but mix it up, keeping the listener engaged and enthralled…..a fantastic piece of work, and will be well up on my ‘Albums of the Year’ list.

‘Shapeshifter’ will be released on vinyl by Pink Tank on 3rd September but pre-orders are up now. It is also available as a download on the bands Bandcamp page here.