LAZY BONEZ – Eye of the Sky (2023)
Tommi “Tuple” Salmela attracted attention only last month with an excellent new solo album, and now he already follows up with the fourth album of his current band LAZY BONEZ. And this one can definitely keep up with the solo work.
The Finns offer melodic hard rock of Scandinavian style at any time, which also borrows some AOR at places – always catchy. Have you ever wondered how the ’90s hard rock music would have sounded like if the grunge movement never took off in popularity and what some of the bands from the late ’80s scene would have evolved into?
Then Lazy Bonez’s “Eye of the Sky” is probably a pretty good example of what kind of rock music and bands from that alternate timeline would sound-like today. Fans of KING COMPANY, ONE DESIRE, TEMPLE BALLS and LEVERAGE will find a lot to enjoy here.
LAZY BONEZ are benefited by some precious commodity: time. They create and mange their music themselves. The band worked on this new album more than three years without deadlines or feeling a record label breath on their necks.
Well, the reason not feeling the pressure is simple – LAZY BONEZ has their own label owned by the band founder Jaakko Kauppinen. Additionally, he’s a perfectionist. As example, some finished vocals tracks were discarded and recorded again in order to achieve the desired atmosphere the songs needed.
And these a carefully written / arranged songs. Veteran singer Tommi Tuple Salmela remains behind the mic and the band lists many background singers to create big layers of harmonies. While Tuple is an excellent vocalist, the background vocals are awesome too, and are so important in helping make “Eye of the Sky” so well done album.
The songwriting is stellar and all the songs melodic with catchy and infectious choruses complemented by sharp guitar riffs and keyboards. There is a huge ivory atmosphere much of the time and there are some frilly synths sections found throughout the album.
Despite being always around the melodic hard rock style, LAZY BONEZ always try to sound unique, with occasional AOR flourishes and melodic clean metal feeling on a couple of numbers.
Highly Recommended
01 – Shining
02 – Miss Gasoline
03 – Burn for Me
04 – Welcome to the World
05 – Rain
06 – Lay to Rest (feat Noora Louhimo)
07 – Shield of Pride
08 – Eye of the Sky
09 – Screaming
10 – Without You
11 – Said And Done
Tommi Tuple Salmela: vocals
Jaakko Kauppinen: bass & backing vocals
Markku Mähönen: guitar & backing vocals
Mikko Niiranen: guitar & backing vocals
Topi Kosonen: drums
Heikki Polvinen, Janne Tolsa: keyboards, synths
Noora Louhimo – vocals in ‘Lay to Rest’
Hanne Kivioja – backing vocals in ‘Said And Done’
Saku Solin – backing vocals in ‘Screaming’
Pasi Kankkunen – backing vocals in ‘Welcome to the World’
Olli Moilanen – guitars in ‘Welcome to the World’, ‘Screaming’
Joona Rinne – additional guitars in ‘Screaming’
Erkka Korhonen – additional guitars in ‘Eye of the Sky’
Ari Hentunen – additional guitars in ‘Rain’
Tom Rask – drums in ‘Lay to Rest’ and ‘Eye of the Sky’
Kepa Kettunen – drums in ‘Without You’
Juha Kinnunen – additional keyboards in ‘Welcome to the World’ and ‘Shield of Pride’
BUY
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