ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Promotional Video Review: BAD BONES 'American Days' by Heather Dawson

Band: BAD BONES
Place of origin: Mondovì, Italy
Genre: Rock, metal
Promotional video: American Days
From: High Rollers, full length released on Sliptrick Records October 23, 2018
Release date: September 30, 2018
As an adult in these here United States, dealing with work, kids, home, family etc, the ‘sandwich generation’ is feeling the heat from every angle. Then we are told we are not good enough, strong enough, attractive enough or wealthy enough to be relevant. On top of that we are afraid of crime, unemployment, environmental disaster and pandemic diseases that the media keep telling us about and the government keeps pushing on us. It’s enough to make you want to just hide under the covers and never see the light of day again....
So I want to thank the Universe for being so kind to put Bad Bones’ newest video ‘American Days’ in front of my peepers this cold morning.
The song itself is a raucous, fun fest akin to an 80s Twisted Sister or early Mötley Crüe offering. (why did Apple see fit to putting the umlaut in Motörhead but not Mötley Crüe? Although, in fairness, Motörhead is an infinitely superior band, and more deserving of the coveted “metal umlaut”, I get that). The song is a ‘wait till your folks are asleep, push the car out of the driveway, drink Boone’s Farm wine and make it with your girl in the beach parking lot on a Friday night’ anthem. And who doesn’t need a little throwback fantasy of teenage irresponsibility and freedom right now. I mean yea, in the days of my youth the US and USSR had nukes pointed at one another every day, and a dithering old man had his finger on THE BUTTON, but sooooo whattt... we were young wild and free (in the words of that old Triumph song) so who cared. It’s this kind of wild freedom that Bad Bones pulls from our collective memory and has us feeling like we are right back there.
Yet, in the video, it’s not young, skinny, heshers running around on stage and demonstrating acts of joy filled vandalism; it’s dudes my age. Which is inspiring. Bad Bones is telling us ‘YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! YOUR FEARS AND CONCERNS ARE UNIVERSAL AND JESUS, WE ALL JUST NEED A GOD DAMN BREAK FROM THE EVER PRESENT DOOM. ‘And so we can live vicariously and at the same time live in our glorious pasts as we watch these guys rip it up and tear it up. ‘Gotta loose yourself to find your way...’ amen brothers AMEN.
To be sure, this isn’t glossy hair metal... these dudes know what they are doing... yea the production may be as slick as a pair of CC Deville’s spandex pants... but these guys can play. It’s a - excuse the hackneyed expression - tasty track. In all its fanfare it’s not over done and in all its precision not self-reverential or precious. In the video the band shamelessly lip-syncs and plays air guitar, bass and even air drums with a fun loving, self-deprecating sense of humor. Oh? A band with a sense of humor in music today? What a freaking breath of fresh air. Other bands that don’t take themselves overly serious, let’s see there’s... Foo Fighters annndddd... these guys and... that’s it. (Hey! Everyone else! It’s rock and roll, it’s supposed to be fun... crack a smile every once in a while, Jesus...)
In the end what we get is a spirit raising kick in the pants. Sort of saying ‘hey you big, dumb, metalhead! Remember who you are! Remember what fun was! And use that energy and spirt to get through the tough days...’ It’s an inspiring message and one I hope to take with me through these strange new American Days... -Heather Dawson

Lineup:
Max Bone: Vocals
SerJoe Bone: Guitar, backing vocals
Steve Bone: Bass, backing vocals
Lele Bone: drums

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