Review: Bone Man - III

Back in 2015 I reviewed an album called 'Shapeshifter' by German band Bone Man (read the review here)...it was a superlative album and one of my favourites of that year. Well, there is a new one imminent and so the question will be asked...'is it as good as the last?' and the answer is a resounding yes! 'III' is released via the great Pink Tank Records, who brought us 'Shape Shifter'.

'Pollyanna' is a visceral, punky blast of a track, the opening riff fairly blasts out of the speakers...a fine start in anyone's book! It continues apace, never relenting and never anything less than enthralling. At times, especially when the vocals hit, it put in mind of some of the 'goth' greats of the eighties...Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Fields Of The Nephilim (yeah, OK, pushing that one with great, but I loved 'em!). 'These Days Are Gone' slows things down to a more melancholic tempo, but the depth of the fuzz more than makes up for the slowing of the pace. The vocals are strong and yet plaintive and it all comes together to produce something pretty damned powerful. 'Cold Echo' throws some echoey wah-wah into the mix which gives it a 'retro' feel...the riffs and the fuzz give it more than a touch of seventies heavy psych. 'Years Of Sorrow' sees the band harking back to their stoner roots....bludgeoning riffs and crashing drums...there are slower segments to the song that break up the onslaught of fuzz. This is what I love about Bone Man.....four tracks in and so far every track has been different, they know how to mix their approaches and styles to keep things really interesting. 'Wreck Under The Sea' is another that starts in a more lugubrious manner but it's not long until things open up into something heavier; the drums are pummeling and the guitars loud. If anything, this has a feel of more traditional metal but with flashes of heavy psych. 'Incognito' is packed with emotion and atmosphere. The bass positively throbs and the psych tinged guitar wails like a tormented soul whereas 'Zeitgeist' is a stormer..full of driving fuzz laden guitar that strafes the track with wah-wah and distortion. 'Amnesia' is a satisfying amalgam of all that has gone before...emotion filled vocals (again, sounding very 'goth' at times), some fine guitar that veers between the heavy as fuck and the more laid back and a bass/drum rhythm section that is rock solid and keeps everything perfectly on track. 'False Ambition' (bonus track ) is brilliant...a track that goes full pelt, driving ever onward with the guitar knocking out powerful riff after powerful riff...real heavy psych stuff!

It would be tempting to see 'III' as a 'follow up' to 'Shapeshifter' but that would be doing it a disservice. It shares many qualities of its predecessor....the same distinctive vocals, the same infinite variety of styles and approaches on show, the same level of musicianship....but it is a damned fine album regardless of anything that has gone before. Talking to Jan Von Beuningen, the mainman of Pink Tank, he called 'III' the band's 'masterpiece', and who am I to disagree with him. It is an album that thrills, enthralls and captivates in equal measure. The way in which they seamlessly move from psych to stoner to punk and back again is a joy to behold. Fantastic album! It is on pre-order at Pink Tank's webstore here...there is a limited 'Black Eye' edition as well as the standard vinyl. It can be streamed and the digital version ordered at the Pink Tank Bandcamp page here.