When a band has been around for almost two decades, it’s easy to rest on their laurels and pump out familiar tunes that will keep the long-time fans happy. It’s a sound strategy, especially with bands who don’t want to risk messing up what they’ve built up after years of blood, sweat, and tears. I completely understand when bands do this, and I can’t fault them for that. Let’s be completely honest, we all know that one band that has put out the same album for years, right? What happens in the long run though is that their new releases just become static and background noise. They lose their luster quickly and become forgotten. It’s those bands that still have that hunger to evolve and create compelling music that ultimately catch my attention and compel me to pay attention. One such band is The Bronx.
With Bronx VI, the folks in The Bronx come out swinging. On “Superbloom,” vocalist Matt Caughthran leads the assault. It’s a song that just feels like a Bronx song, but it’s so much more. There’s an uncompromising energy throughout held up by machine gun drums and an all out sonic blast. It’s a song that matches bands like The Stooges, New York Dolls, and Sex Pistols in energy and passion. It really is a nice throw back ’70’s guitar-heavy garage rock / punk tune sound.
After “Superbloom,” they go right into the arena rock stratosphere with “Watering the Well.” It’s extremely guitar heavy, with hard rock choruses and big guitar solos. It’s what happens when you mix David Lee Roth-era Van Halen with KISS and Thin Lizzy. Yes, the song is as big and ambitious as advertised.
The heavier musical assault takes a slight reprieve with “Peace Pipe.” The Bronx slow gives the listener a breather and slows the tempo down a bit. Focusing more on melody and form, it has hit single written all over it. Hell, there’s even a catchy chorus and some sing-a-long “whoahs” for good measure. Don’t let that minimize the thought behind the song though. Deep down, it’s a song about breaking out of the monotony of life, taking risks, and just living.
Another fun thing about listening to this album is imagining how these new songs will translate live. For the uninitiated, The Bronx are amazing live. No matter if they’re in a smaller club, or a larger hall, they command the stage … and the dancefloor since Matt is known to come on out into the crowd and take it to the people. Songs like “High Five” are going to be so epic live. I have goosebumps just thinking about it to be quite honest. And, while we’re being honest, Bronx VI is the kind of album that deserves to fill up a large hall. Musically, it’s so dynamic, and so well-suited for larger spaces.
With all the negativity going on in the world today, it would be a surprise for bands not to address it on their new albums. The Bronx do this most specifically on “Breaking News,” a thrash punk song that would make Pennywise and Suicidal Tendencies proud.
Ultimately, Bronx VI feels like a cathartic indictment of the world we live in today. It focuses on the ups and downs and feelings of mortality we all experience on a daily basis. There’s so much packed into these 11 songs that listeners will relate to. It’s also may just be one of the best sounding Bronx albums to date. If you want a prime example of the quality of music a band can create when refusing to sit on their laurels, Bronx VI is a good place to start.