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Album Review – Unwanted Guest / Bonedead (2024)

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Guitarist Dave Fox and his Unwanted Guest return with another round of first-class rock and metal music, a true labour of love reflecting his personal and musical journey thus far.

The multi-talented Sheffield, England-based Dave Fox, lead guitarist of UK’s own Heavy Metal band Seventh Son, has recently re-emerged from the old school metal scene with a fresh take on 90’s Hard Rock, Progressive and Alternative Metal under the moniker Unwanted Guest, releasing in 2022 his critically acclaimed debut solo album Grave Metallum, which climbed to number 10 on the Amazon New Release Metal Charts. Following his successful debut, Dave has devoted nearly two years and 1,000 hours to writing, recording, and producing 12 new tracks for the second Unwanted Guest album, entitled Bonedead, a true labour of love reflecting his personal and musical journey thus far. On his new album, Dave once again performs all vocals and instrumental duties, showcasing his versatility as a seasoned rock guitarist and producer, giving the whole album a very personal and honest vibe.

Bonedead begins with Mary Had a Little Lamb, which according to Dave himself “is a very personal song lyrically and discusses the degeneration of elder family members. For some people, death is more preferable than being kept alive and suffering.” Musically speaking, it’s an exciting rockin’ tune where Dave slashes his guitar mercilessly while delivering melodious vocal lines, followed by Six Degrees of Saturation, exploring the concept of an abandoned playlist, sat on someone’s device, that may contain a masterpiece that no one will ever hear. “It is destined to remain digital dust, even more so when millions of bands are uploading song after song each day – most of which fall by the wayside – hardly ever being heard. What chance do these small artists ever have?”, said Dave, delivering another blast of modern-day Hard Rock showcasing classic riffs, bass lines and pounding drums. Then eerie background sounds add a welcome dose of insanity to The Alchemist, sounding like a Rock N’ Roll version of Deep Purple; and Dave enhances the heaviness of his riffs in Dead End, blasting a great fusion of Alternative Rock and Metal with classic Hard Rock in the vein of Velvet Revolver. It’s then time for Dave to invest in a more melodic vibe in the ballad Beneath the Broken Shell, with hints of Southern Rock in its riffs and beats; whereas Imposter Syndrome, a behavioral health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals, offers tons of groove flowing from the bass guitar while all riffs and keys bring endless electricity to the music.

The second half of the album starts in a Velvet Revolver/Alter Bridge vibe with I’m Just a Guy, where Dave showcases all his passion for the riff while his vocals also sound as striking and melodic as they can be, followed by Show Yourself, another banger by Dave and his Unwanted Guest perfect for hitting the highway or simply enjoy it at home while having a cold beer, with the whole song exhaling pure Rock N’ Roll, in special Dave’s stylish riffs. He definitely knows how to blend classic rock music with the modern sound of the 90’s and 2000’s, which is exactly what we’ll get in Kindred State of Mind, flowing into the also rockin’ tune Future Skeleton, where he fires his classic riffs and beats from start to finish. It’s not amongst the strongest songs of the album, but it’s still very enjoyable, of course. His guitar lines sound heavier and more piercing in Funeral in My Brain, again nicely complementing his bass and drums, therefore supporting his vocal lines in great fashion; and lastly, it’s pedal to the metal in the flammable extravaganza titled Wrap Me Up, a striking conclusion to an album that reeks of our beloved Rock N’ Roll.

Bonedead can be appreciated in its entirety on Spotify, and you can also grab a copy of it from the project’s own BandCamp page, keeping Mr. Dave Fox very happy and motivated to continue his rockin’ journey and to bring to our avid ears more of his classy creations. You can also start following him on Facebook for news and other nice-to-know information about his Unwanted Guest, and also subscribe to his YouTube channel for more of his music. Both his debut Grave Metallum and his newborn spawn Bonedead are excellent albums that certainly deserve a listen by anyone who loves rock and metal music, and as mentioned, the more personal the albums by Dave and his Unwanted Guest sound and feel, the more thrilling his musical creations will be for all of us, proving again there’s nothing better than rock and metal music that is true to the heart as the soundtrack to our lives.

Best moments of the album: Six Degrees of Saturation, Imposter Syndrome and Show Yourself.

Worst moments of the album: Future Skeleton.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Mary Had a Little Lamb 4:09
2. Six Degrees of Saturation 3:58
3. The Alchemist 3:53
4. Dead End 4:52
5. Beneath the Broken Shell 3:34
6. Imposter Syndrome 3:37
7. I’m Just a Guy 3:57
8. Show Yourself 4:05
9. Kindred State of Mind 3:29
10. Future Skeleton 3:23
11. Funeral in My Brain 3:26
12. Wrap Me Up 2:48

Band members
Dave Fox – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Mastodon / Emperor of Sand (2017)

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Follow the inspirational story of a desert wanderer who has been handed a death sentence in the brand new excellent album by the trailblazers of Progressive and Sludge Metal.

Anything I say about the music by American Progressive/Sludge Metal trailblazers Mastodon won’t be enough to describe the amount of madness, intricacy and feeling flowing from the instruments from this unique Atlanta-based quartet. Now with the fantastic Emperor of Sand, the seventh studio album in their remarkable career, Troy Sanders (bass), Brent Hinds (guitar), Bill Kelliher (guitar) and Brann Dailor (drums) add an extra layer of complexity to their music by revolving the entire album around the concepts of death and survival, inspired by experiences they had when members of their families and friends were recently diagnosed with cancer.

Featuring a beautiful artwork by Alan Brown (Medusawolf), the concept and story in Emperor of Sand follows a desert wanderer who has been handed a death sentence. “At the end of the story, the person simultaneously dies and is saved,” said Brann. “It’s about going through cancer, going through chemotherapy and all the things associated with that. I didn’t want to be literal about it. But it’s all in there. You can read between the lines.” Troy also had a few words to share about the whole concept behind Emperor of Sand. “We’re reflecting on mortality,” mentioned Troy. “To that end, the album ties into our entire discography. It’s 17 years in the making, but it’s also a direct reaction to the last two years. We tend to draw inspiration from very real things in our lives.”

Percussion sounds ignite pure heaviness in the form of music, titled Sultan’s Curse, where it’s impressive to see how those four guys can sound so polished and raw at the same time in a perfect fusion of Progressive and Sludge Metal. Furthermore, not only Brann has a superb performance on drums, but their already famous rotation of vocals only makes things even more entertaining. Despite sounding a bit too commercial at first, Show Yourself is a damn good song, being electrified and upbeat with the awesome vocals by Brann leading the musicality, while Brent and Bill deliver classic, sharp riffs and solos. In addition, if you want to see how awesome this tune sounds live, simply watch this excellent video of the band performing it at Jimmy Kimmel Live. Precious Stones is the type of song fans will love to see them playing live, offering another high-speed metallic voyage and showcasing more of their beautiful guitar lines and a rumbling performance by the unstoppable Troy on bass; whereas Steambreather starts with a dark, low-tuned sonority thanks to the guitars and bass sounds, keeping a blackened aura throughout the whole song but with faster passages to maintain the overall result very interesting (not to mention the once again excellent vocals from start to finish).

The next track, named Roots Remain, sounds heavier than all previous songs, with Brann smashing his drums while Troy fires his more aggressive vocals, also providing tons of progressiveness flowing from all instruments in a display of classy and modern Sludge Metal with hints of Groove Metal. In my humble opinion, Word to the Wise is the best of all songs in Emperor of Sand, with the poetic lyrics emanating from the harsh vocals by Troy matching the music flawlessly (“Diamond in the wishing well / Fallen underneath its spell / Save me from the wicked ways / Pulling me with all its weight”). Moreover, I love when they speed up their music without losing their progressive touch, maintaining a beautiful pace while at the same time firing some flammable guitar solos. Ancient Kingdom is another composition with a solid and intricate instrumental supporting the amazing vocal work done by all band members, and what Brann does with his beats is like a lecture in drum playing; followed by Clandestiny, which to my ears sounds like a less commercial and consequently heavier version of “Show Yourself”. It’s one of the songs with the strongest Progressive Metal base of all, and it’s impossible not to feel its energy flowing inside your mind.

With guest musician Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth on vocals, Andromeda, a great tune to break your neck headbanging, also presents a darker side of Mastodon. Brann is absolutely on fire throughout the whole album and it couldn’t be different in this amazing chant, which makes me wonder how powerful it should sound during their live concerts. And featuring another guest vocalist, this time Scott Kelly of Neurosis, we have Scorpion Breath, the second to last track of the album, being very rhythmic with the bass lines by Troy bringing thunder to the musicality, while the guitars by Brent and Bill will cut your skin like a razor-edged blade. Last but not least, if someone asked me to summarize the music by Mastodon in two words, those would definitely be Jaguar God. This is a complex, detailed and very creative creation by the band, presenting amazing guitar riffs and solos, an intricate and groovy drumming, smoother passages, and beyond whimsical lyrics (“Terrestial fire, ascending from underground / Godspeed divine, so we control our mound / Shape shifter, spirits whisper / Guide me through this black sorcery”), not to mention that when the music gets really heavy, it becomes the best Progressive Metal you can think of.

I personally recommend that before (or maybe after) listening to the album in its entirety you go check the band’s outstanding series of videos on YouTube titled The Making of Emperor of Sand, as those will make a lot of difference to your own view of the music found in Emperor of Sand, giving additional details and even new meanings to what you think you know about Mastodon. You can also check what the band is up to at their official Facebook page, and get ready for their always fun visit to your city in a not-so-distant future. Some will say Emperor of Sand is their strongest work to date, and some that the band lost their touch, just like what happens with every renowned band nowadays. All I know is that Emperor of Sand is a bold, cohesive and inspirational metal album, and that it will hit you hard no matter what, proving Mastodon are not among the biggest and most influential names in contemporary heavy music in vain.

Best moments of the album: Sultan’s Curse, Precious Stones, Word to the Wise and Jaguar God.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2017 Reprise Records

Track listing
1. Sultan’s Curse 4:09
2. Show Yourself 3:03
3. Precious Stones 3:46
4. Steambreather 5:03
5. Roots Remain 6:28
6. Word to the Wise 4:00
7. Ancient Kingdom 4:54
8. Clandestiny 4:28
9. Andromeda (feat. Kevin Sharp) 4:05
10. Scorpion Breath (feat. Scott Kelly) 3:19
11. Jaguar God 7:56

Band members
Brent Hinds – lead guitar, lead and backing vocals
Bill Kelliher – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Troy Sanders – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals
Brann Dailor – drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals, bass on “Jaguar God” intro 

Guest musicians
Kevin Sharp – additional vocals on “Andromeda”
Scott Kelly – additional vocals on “Scorpion Breath”
Mike Keneally – keyboards