Album Details

• Artist: Black Bone Child
• Album: Black Bone Child
• Label:
• Year of Release:
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-11-03

Bubbling up from the southern reaches of Austin, Texas come Black Bone Child, a young collaboration of well-seasoned local musicians. First good thing to say about the band is that they're not trying to fit into any specific niche, that much is clear just from reading into their influences and sampling a track or two. But when you dig into their self-titled debut, you find that their main influence is quite contradictory to some of the old-timey southern blues gears they switch to throughout. Mostly, though, utilizing the D-I-Y attitude, vocal nuances (whichever of the two in this duo do the singing sounds almost EXACTLY like him) and production flair of Trent Reznor is a worthwhile endeavor. BBC keep it fresh enough to avoid any calls of dullness on their part.

What these jaunting rockers signify mostly is the melding of classic blues-based rock'n'roll in the vein of Muddy Waters and the like, with the modern groove-oriented (and perhaps a direct descendant of original rock) radio-friendly rock ala Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age. The guys know how to hit the grooves with confidence and the upmost attention to ear-catching bass rhythms. Songs early on have more in common with their roots, most notable being"Time Pass Me By" and twangy "Watch it Burn", which sounds like George Thouroughood possessed with the spirit of Rob Zombie. Later on, tracks like "Fill Me Up" and "You're Gonna See" scream of the sort of industrial-pop making acts like Black Light Burns and NiN intensely relevant. The cross-stitching of influences is seamless and, by all apparent factors, something that comes together nicely as the sounds connect throughout time, from one generation to the next. 

All sorts of props to these two relative unknown guys and their Black Bone Child project. For at least one album's worth of songs, a listener can at once be treated to head-bobbing grooves, passionate vocals, sharp guitar and a musical history lesson to boot. You'll come for the catchiness and stay for the deep nature of these bluesy, ballsy numbers. The only thing it's really missing is that "it" factor, and I think that might be more a matter of how close they play it by ear in regards to their influences and their songwriting. But this record oozes not only solid music, but a real promise for a future head-turning release. 

User Reviews and Comments

on 2008-11-03 devilgurl Said:

HOLY FRIJOLES! Just listened to their stuff on myspace...

I love these guys,little rob zombie,zztop,blues...

Damn,how come they're still unsigned??


Not Rated