Album Review: Bare Bones – Rival Minds

Sydney five-piece Bare Bones have been going at it for over six years, and in that time, they’ve amassed faithful crowds at sizzling live shows and sharpened their blunt punk rock across a handful of releases. They grind out heavy thrash-rock with punchy breakdowns that render them somewhere in between Metallica and The Bronx, always with a ripping melody. If there’s one thing their second long-player Rival Minds proves, it’s that vocalist Thomas Kennedy and co have dug even deeper to round out their sound with more jagged guitars and interesting structures. But furious riffs and brutal beats still reign.

From searing opener New Low, Rival Minds doesn’t let up. Crawl The Night opens with angular guitar lines, then unleashes dark energy in the form of Kennedy’s growl and some distorted ‘90s backing vocals. There’s plenty of dizzying riffs in Gold Leaf and Axe To Grind, and Rust is the highlight of the album’s second half – it’s a straight-up frenzy with a sleek, straight, rousing chorus. Despite moments that don’t shine quite as bright in between, Rival Minds is undoubtedly the band’s best to date.