HELIX – Skin In The Game (2011)

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With 5 gold and 2 platinum albums already in the bag, Helix are one of the biggest Canadian rock bands in history.
Founding lead singer Brian Vollmer has kept the Helix legacy alive through multiple lineup changes over the years, but since their last 2009 album ‘Vagabond Bones’, the band features a mostly original line-up including Brent Doerner on guitar, Greg ‘Fritz’ Hinz on drums and Daryl Gray on bass and keyboards.

Now they are releasing a 5-track EP “Skin In The Game”.
These songs are really just a continuation of the ‘Vagabond Bones’ CD, written by Vollmer together with previous guitar payer Sean Kelly, now replaced by Kaleb Duck.
So if you liked ‘Vagabond…’ you will like this EP as well.
If you never listened the last material from the band, you’ll get an ’80s Hard Rock sound rooted in classic format, with solid melodic guitars and energetic vocals.

After the funny NASCAR-like guitar fueled instrumental opener “William Tell Overture” (including the classic Vollmer’s ‘wooow’), The EP title track “Skin In The Game” sets the style of the following tracks; fun rockers in the typical Helix style; crunchy melodious Hard Rock with some Blues and some Boogie influences, an overall feel-good atmosphere and the in-your-face attitude that we’ve all known Helix for for so long.
Listening the immediate sing-along chorus of “The Bitch Is A Bullet” (great solo), the ‘ol and classy “Champagne Communist” (including keyboards) that reminds you their early times or the more slick and melodic “Angelina”, this is unmistakeably HELIX.

“Skin In The Game” is better than I expected.
Brian Vollmer’s voice still has the edge to carry the songs and leave his stamp on them, the guitars are energetic but clean and melodic, while the rhythm section is solid as usual, I like specially the drum sound.
More Melodic Hard Rock oriented the rather simply ‘hard’, this EP shows that these old gentlemen still have the grip in them and it has turned out to be a good, fun listen.
Nice & Rockin’.

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrock

1/5 – William Tell Overture
2/5 – Skin In The Game
3/5 – The Bitch Is A Bullet
4/5 – Angelina
5/5 – Champagne Communist

Brian Vollmer – Lead Vocals
Brent Doerner – Lead Guitar
Kaleb Duck – Guitar
Daryl Gray – Bass, Keyboards
Fritz Hinz – Drums

BUY IT !
www.planethelix.com/Store/CDs.htm