Buckcherry’s New Album Is “Bound” For Success

Courtesy: Round Hill Records

Veteran rock band Buckcherry returned to the road in June.  The band’s tour, which launched June 1 in Kansas City, MO, came on the heels of the cancellation of more than 100 shows in 2020.  The cancellations came as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Two of the tour’s upcoming dates are in North Carolina – Sept. 4 in Charlotte, NC and Nov. 1 (the tour finale) in Jacksonville, NC.  Needless to say, the band’s shows have featured and will feature plenty of songs from Hellbound, the band’s latest album.  The songs, from beginning to end, offer something for all of the band’s fans.  That is shown through the album’s musical and lyrical content alike.  ‘54321,’ the album’s opener is just one way in which the album shows how much it has to offer audiences.  It will be discussed shortly.  ‘Wasting No More Time,’ the album’s latest single, is another example of how much the album has to offer listeners.  It will be discussed a little later. 

‘No More Lies,’ the album’s midpoint, is yet another example of how much this record has to offer.  Given, not every listener will enjoy every single song on this record.  However, the diversity and accessibility in the album’s musical arrangements and lyrical themes brings everything together to make Hellbound a presentation that is bound to be a successful new offering from Buckcherry in the long run.

Buckcherry’s latest album, Hellbound (the band’s ninth album), is a presentation that will appeal widely to audiences.  Given, not every fan will enjoy the whole album, but every fan will enjoy parts of the album.  From beginning to end, the record’s musical and lyrical content does plenty to support those statements.  The album’s opener, ‘54321’ is just one way in which this is proven.  The song’s musical arrangement creates a high-energy opening to the 34-minute album.  The driving guitar line at the song’s center joins with the solid time keeping and vocals and bass to create a sound and stylistic approach that is immediately familiar for the band’s established audiences.  At the same time, audiences can also make a comparison to works from The Sex Pistols what with front man Josh Todd’s vocal delivery style.  The guitar solo even gives a hint of some punk influence.  So all in all here, the song makes for a strong first impression in the band’s latest outing.  The arrangement is infectious throughout its nearly three-and-a-half-minute run time, too showing in part what makes the song stand out.  The energy exuded through the song’s arrangement pairs well with the song’s lyrical energy to show even more why the song in whole stands out.

The lyrical content featured along with the musical arrangement in ‘54321’ will engage and entertain audiences just as much as the song’s musical arrangement.  That is because of the message that it seems to present.  The seeming message in question is one of proud defiance.  Speaking more specifically, the song’s message comes across as a proudly defiant statement that the subject does not care what others think about him.  This is inferred as Todd sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Gettin’ cornered was a bad decision/Finding trouble was my disease/I’m boarded up and it’s like a prison/Cut me off if you want to breathe/I keep on waiting for another outcome/I keep on waiting for the chips to fall/All I wanted was a breakout and to have fun/Now I want it to dissolve/All these things have crossed the line/I must have told you a thousand times/I think I’m gonna have to cut you loose/You keep on talking ’bout my attitude/5, 4, 3, 2, 1, goes another one/Now you’re on the run, are you having fun/5, 4, 3, 2, 1/Are you overrun/Chaos left undonе, it’s a megaton.”  This comes across as the subject telling another person that he is done with that other person, that the relationship (whether plutonic or romantic is beside the point) won’t last because that other person has nothing but negative thoughts toward the subject.  That sense of self confidence is evidenced even more in the song’s second verse, in which Todd sings, “I get in trouble with imagination/I’m likе a butterfly without any wings/I left a mark all across the nation/On my own I don’t need anything/I’m deeper in it and it’s lasting so long/I hit the limit and I dropped the ball/I thought I left it in the past but I’m wrong/Now I’m bouncing off the walls/I should leave this all behind/And I ain’t ever gonna change my mind/I see these mother******* playin’ a fool/Acting so tough cause they’re breaking the rules.”  The song’s third and final verse puts the final accent to the inferred statement as Todd sings, “18 miles away from the conflict/Burnin’ out like a flame, where’s the target/I cleaned out my safe cause I’m rotten/I will do just fine at the bottom.”  Looking at all of this seeming statement, it proves a fully accessible theme.  When the accessibility in this message and its strong tone pair with the power in the song’s musical arrangement, the whole shows clearly why it is such a notable entry in the album.  It is just one of the songs that shows how much Hellbound has to offer audiences.  ‘Wasting No More Time’ is another notable addition to the album.

‘Wasting No More Time’ stands out in part because of its musical arrangement.  Its musical arrangement is the polar opposite of that featured in the album’s opener.  It is a much more subdued, blues rock style composition.  Listening through the three minute, 33 second opus, Todd’s familiar vocal delivery style pairs with the song’s instrumentation to give the whole an interesting hybrid approach.  The instrumentation at times lends itself to comparison to works from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  That is most evident in the verses.  The choruses on the other hand give the song more of a modern pop rock sensibility.  Again, the whole makes the arrangement in whole unique from the rest of the album’s entries.  When the subtle approach taken to the song’s arrangement pairs with the song’s equally contemplative lyrical theme, the whole proceeds to show even more how much the album has to offer listeners.

The lyrical theme featured in ‘Wasting No More Time’ comes across as a statement about letting go of the past and just living life.  This is inferred through the song’s lead verse and chorus, which state, “We come from broken homes, coast to coast/It’s hard to accept when there’s debts unpaid/We all have lived, we all have sinned/We all get shattered when we’re feeling that pain/But just a little love gets me feeling like/I figured it out, rid my doubt/So come in my house/Pain ain’t the killer when it’s making you strong/Helps you along and guess we learn from it all/And I know things have change/SoI need something to kill the pain/I’m getting’ older and recognize/Gonna have to face it/I ain’t wasting no more time.”  The song’s second verse makes the seeming message even clearer as Todd sings, “When we set the stage, and look for change/It’s funny how the story kinda looks insane/The lines are crossed, the point is lost/And all you want to do is go and turn the page/And when I hit the road I can separate and be with my thoughts/Walking the walk, let go of my loss/Don’t blame the sinner/It’s a waste of your time/Look to the sky, it’s gonna open up your mind.”  What is so interesting here is that while the combination of these contemplative thoughts and subdued musical content works, other similar songs have been crafted whose musical arrangements are much more fiery.  Those songs work just as well.  It is just interesting that the band chose the more subdued approach in this case.  Regardless, this approach continues to show the diversity in the album’s musical and lyrical content.  That diversity continues to show how much the album has to offer listeners.  It is just one more example of what the album has to offer audiences.  ‘No More Lies’ is yet another way in which the noted diversity shows through.

‘No More Lies’ stands out in part because of its own musical arrangement.  The arrangement in this case is just as unlike the other songs examined here as it is from the rest of the album’s songs and as different as they all are from one another.  The whole thing opens with an interesting almost 311-esque reggae rock approach before very quickly switching gears to a more southern rock vibe a la The Black Crowes.  What is assumed to the bass line takes center stage in this song.  The foundation that it forms is strengthened through the drums and vocals.  It all makes for so much interest in itself.  Adding to the interest is light overall approach taken to the arrangement alongside the song’s lyrical theme.

The song’s lyrical theme comes across relatively clearly as an all too familiar song about a broken relationship.  This is made clear right from the song’s outset in which Todd sings, “I can’t get you on the phone/And I’m sitting home waiting for you/You think I do what I’m told/But baby you ain’t got a clue/I go out ridin’, glidin’/Baby I ain’t no fool/I hit the ground runnin’, gunnin’/Cause I got the right kinda tools/Looking out for you/Looking out for me/I know you’re lonely/Maybe I’m a fool/Maybe I believe/My one and only/Tell me what to do/Tell me what you need/You need to know that/Every time I see you/And every time I tried/You don’t even say hello/You don’t look me in the eyes/I know you don’t believe me/That’s what you’re telling me/All of the time/All them years, and all them tears/Broke this heart of mine/So don’t tell me no more lies.”  This is a pretty rich and direct statement that leaves little if any doubt.  The song’s second verse continues things as the song’s subject effectively begs the other person “What should I do?” in regards to getting that other person to be honest.  This is another accessible message considering the scenario’s commonality among audiences.  As with ‘Wasting No More Time,’ the pairing of this familiar lyrical topic with the song’s light musical arrangement makes for even more interest.  Songs, such as this make it so easy for acts to go the all too common “oh woe is me” approach and use some deeply contemplative style musical approach.  The band opted not to go that route here.  It really makes for an interesting contrast between the two sides.  To that end, such juxtaposition makes even clearer how much Hellbound has to offer audiences.  When the whole is considered along with the other songs examined here and the rest of the album’s entries, the whole of the album proves to be a successful entry that will appeal equally to Buckcherry’s established audiences and more casual fans.

Buckcherry’s new album, Hellbound, is a presentation that is bound for success.  That is proven through its musical and lyrical themes.  Every fan might not enjoy the album in whole but the whole album will give every fan something to appreciate.  Each of the songs examined here serve well to support the noted statements.  When they are considered with the album’s remaining entries, the album in whole proves to be a positive new offering from Buckcherry that audiences will enjoy at the band’s live dates and in itself.

Buckcherry’s remaining live dates are noted below.

BUCKCHERRY ON TOUR:
NORTH AMERICA:
8/3 — Madison, WI — Majestic
8/5 — Dubuque, IA — Five Flags Event Center
8/6 — Sioux City, IA — Hard Rock Hotel & Casno
8/10 — Columbia, MO — Blue Note
8/14 — Shiley Acres, VA — Shiley Acres
8/15 — Knoxville, TN — Cotton Eye Joe’s
8/17 — Hobart, IN — Hobart Theatre
8/19 — Ft Wayne, IN — Pieres
8/20 — Lombard, IL — Brauerhouse
8/21 — Escanaba, MI — UP State Fair – Grandstand
8/22 — Green Bay, WI — Epic Event Center
8/27 — Fountain, MN — Beaver Bottoms Saloon
8/28 — Walker, MN — Northern Lights Casino
8/29 — Clear Lake, IA — Surf Ballroom
8/31 — West Peoria, IL — Crusens 
9/1 — Lexington, KY — Manchester Music Hall
9/3 — Nashville, TN — Brooklyn Bowl
9/4 — Charlotte, NC — Park Expo Center
9/5 — Chattanooga, TN — The Signal
9/7 — Ardmore, OK — Heritage Hall
9/10 — Flandreau, SD — Royal River Casino
9/11 — Milwaukee, WI — Summerfest
9/12 — Flint, MI — Machine Shop
9/14 — Cleveland, OH — HOB
9/15 — Syracuse, NY — Sharkey’s Event Center
9/17 — Hampton Beach, NH — Wally’s
9/18 — Blackthorne, NY — Blackthorne Fest 
9/24 — Santa Clarita, CA — Canyon Club
9/25 — Agoura Hills, CA — Canyon Club
9/26 — Montclair, CA — Canyon Club
9/28 — Tempe, AZ — Marquee
9/30 — Salt Lake City, UT — Royal
10/1 — Cheyenne, WY — Outlaw
10/2 — Billings, MT — Pub Station
10/4 — Seattle, WA — El Corazon
10/5 — Vancouver, BC — Rickshaw
10/7 — Calgary, AB — Eagle Event Center
10/8 — Dawson Creek, BC — Encana Event Center
10/9 — Edmonton, AB — Century Casino
10/11 — Red Deer, AB — Bo’s Bar Stage
10/12 — Saskatoon, SK — Coors Event Center
10/14 — Regina, SK — Conexus Art Center
10/15 — Winnipeg, MB — Burton Cummings Theatre
10/18 — Thunder Bay, ON — NV Music Hall
10/19 — Sault Ste Marie, ON — SOO Blasters
10/21 — Sudbury, ON — The Grand
10/22 — London, ON — London Music Hall
10/23 — Ottawa, ON — Barrymore’s
10/25 — Halifax, NS — Marquee
10/26 — Moncton, NB — Tide and Boar
10/27 — Moncton, NB — Tide and Boar
10/30 — Hampton Beach, NH — Wally’s
10/31 — Portland, ME — Aura
11/2 — New Bedford, MA — Vault at Greasy Luck
11/4 — Norwalk, CT — Granite St Music Hall
11/5 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
11/6 — Farmingdale, NY — Mulcahey’s
11/8 — Baltimore, MD — The Recher
11/9 — Harrisburg, PA — Club XL
11/10 — Jacksonville, NC — Hooligans

After the band completes the North American leg of its tour, it will open 2022 with a brief co-headlining tour with Fozzy in Australia that is scheduled to run from Feb. 21 – 26.

The tour’s schedules are noted below.

BUCKCHERRY ON TOUR:
AUSTRALIA:
2/21 — Perth — Amplifier Bar (Buckcherry Only)
2/22 — Adelaide — The Gov     
2/24 — Brisbane    — The Triffid     
2/25 — Sydney — Max Watts     
2/26 — Melbourne — Max Watts

More information on Buckcherry’s new album and tour is available at:

Website: https://buckcherry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buckcherry

Twitter: https://twitter.com/buckcherry

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