Bones of Freedom World Domination I
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
World Domination I is the full-length debut of a very good American-style classic-blues-psychedelic-rock band. Surprisingly, they are based in Gothenburg, Sweden – yes, the birthplace of melodic death metal. Bones Of Freedom blasts out music that would be right at home in the late 1970s, and they do it with major style.
Bones of Freedom is an oddity in that the music is about as “American” as possible, but the band members originally hail from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and England and are currently based in Sweden and Scotland. Not one is from anywhere in the good ‘ol USA. Thomas Pipes (bass) from Denmark, Tim McWeed (guitars) from Finland and Red Morgan (drums) from Sweden provide the Scandinavian touches, and Eddie Wolfe (vocals), a Brit now living in Scotland, provides the voice. Brought together by the power of “The Interweb” and MySpace, this quartet imparts a slightly European touch to an American standard. World Domination I is a follow up to their earlier five-song EP, Butterfly.
BoF’s music definitely has a groove that’s heavily influenced by the blues, soul and classic rock. All the hallmarks of 1970s-era rock are here – deep juicy guitar grooves, loud bass riffs and driving drums. The influence of Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple are obvious, but none of them beats you over the head as BoF is not trying to be a sound-alike or copy band. Eddie Wolfe has a great voice for this style of music. It is deep and raspy but always clear. He can sing, and he can roar. Tim McWeed lays down some incredibly heavy rhythm lines, catchy riffs and then goes off on some really long and well-crafted guitar solos. He is a fine blues/rock player and works very well the other members of the band. Thomas Pipes plays a great bass, and his bass is not just background or rhythm – it is as much a key part of the music as the vocals, drums and guitars. Red Morgan is a solid drummer – not flashy or obnoxious. He has a solid sense of the role of the drums in the music, and his contributions are vital to BoF’s complete and unified sound.
The CD opens with “Loud and Proud” – probably the band’s personal mantra – and it describes their music perfectly. They are unabashedly hard rock to the core. The subject material of their songs is today’s world, and they write about the cult of fame, greed and money, angels and demons, peace, love, rock ‘n’ roll, sex, human nature, ecology, reality television and history. Most of the songs are heavy and have a thick bluesy groove, and they are always melodic. The song styles are diverse enough that each song is fresh and interesting. Highlights are the kicky “Loud and Proud,” the ultra-heavy, blues-style “Miss Dynamite,” the softer ballad-like “1973” and the poignant “Soldier’s Song.” Two other pieces stand out more for their diversity than anything else – “Led Waters” literally sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Muddy Waters, and “Celtic Woman” would make Thin Lizzy proud.
The production and engineering are solid. The vocals are crisp and clear; the instruments nicely balanced, and the bass is boosted so it becomes a vital part of the music.
World Domination I is a very good album. Fans of blues rock, ‘70s rock, or just good old classic rock will enjoy this release on multiple levels. The music is great, the lyrics are solid and timely, and the sound is perfect for the genre. It is an interesting listen, and shows that, unlike NASCAR, American-style music is alive and appreciated in Europe. What was old is now new again, and it just works.
Label: Spook Records
Web: www.bonesoffreedom.net, http://www.myspace.com/bonesoffreedom
Track Listing:
01 – Loud and Proud
02 – Blitzkrieg
03 – Miss Dynamite
04 – Save My Soul
05 – The Wolf
06 – 1973
07 – Mistress
08 – Led Waters
09 – Soldiers Song
10 – Ten
11 – Greed 2009
12 – Down
13 – Celtic Woman
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10