top of page
Tiana Speter

ALBUM REVIEW: Rival Minds (BARE BONES)


ALBUM: Rival Minds // ARTIST: Bare Bones

The duality of man gets a scathing makeover from Sydney heavies Bare Bones and their upcoming album Rival Minds due out this Friday via Resist Records.

 

Undoubtedly one of the sharpest young bands doing the rounds in the Aussie scene right now, Sydney quintet Bare Bones have continuously struck a firm balance between spitfire punk and heaving rock in bodaciously alluring fashion. Coming to life in 2013 and embarking on DIY recording and production in their early years, the anarchy remains but with polished gains of late with the group signing to iconic heavy music label Resist Records (home to Parkway Drive, Polaris and more), a highly acclaimed debut full-length just last year and an eye-watering lineup of supports alongside Stone Sour, Rise Against, The Bronx and Prophets of Rage. And now as 2019 starts to shut up shop, the insatiable Bare Bones machine is ending this decade in scathing style with the release of their second LP Rival Minds finally unleashing this Friday 1st November.

Hulking out with New Low, Rival Minds kicks off in short but sweet fashion, with a rampaging blast that not only sets up the newest chapter for Bare Bones, but also posits a new benchmark for modern Aussie punk. Hollow Point swings out next, packed to the brim with dirty riffs and slinky grooves beneath raucous drums and vocals that pull heavily at the leash (and would absolutely SLAP live).

One of the lead singles Crawl the Night comes armed with angsty hooks and philosphy next as the track wrestles its roaring tones amid a central quote from author, philospher and humanist Eliezer Wiesel: 'A destruction, an annihilation that only man can provoke, and only man can prevent'. The braying frivolity continues next as Gold Leaf hurtles along a blazing highway of searing riffs and some scintillating moments from drummer Chris Blancato as he guides the group along like a frenzied Pied Piper of thunderous beats.

CRAWL THE NIGHT - LYRIC VIDEO (BARE BONES)

Halfway through Rival Minds we find ourselves flitting between hard rock heart-stoppers (Axe to Grind) and melodic, ruminating brawlers (Drag Me Down Below, Gravebound) before Crooked Eye rips out in riotous fashion, hurling a punked up Molotov cocktail with significant contrasts between mosh-ready beats and moody arrangements, ultimately leaving you in a sweaty mess.

Erupting next and bringing proceedings gradually to a close is fellow lead single Rust which may just be the most badass retelling of a Shakespearean concept ever, with the Bare Bones lads saddling up for a delirious array of fast times, swooning vocals and dramatic guitar solos centered around Shakespeare's 'The Seven Ages of Man'. But the ultimate victory in this album belongs to the punks, as title track Rival Minds pumps up the bounce with vocals that'll sand your furniture to a crisp amid a totally unified showing from every Bare Bones gent as they careen into a nirvana of distorted, boisterous bliss.

RUST (BARE BONES)

For the few not already convinced Bare Bones are well on their way to infamy, Rival Minds is the definitive icing on the cake that cements this group as total game-changers, both locally and beyond our shores. Ultimately, Rival Minds is a world-class release that bisects the light and dark of the human mind in startling sonic fashion, heralding a significant new era for Aussie heavy music that'll rattle cages and bones in dizzying style.

THE BRAND NEW ALBUM RIVAL MINDS FROM BARE BONES WILL UNLEASH NEXT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1ST THROUGH RESIST RECORDS. PLUS THEY'LL BE HITTING SYDNEY, BRISBANE AND MELBOURNE TO CELEBRATE STARTING IN LATE NOVEMBER.

TOUR INFO BELOW, AND FOR ALL OTHER BARE BONES INFO HEAD HERE.

BY TIANA SPETER

bottom of page