This man knows how to write killer rock riffs!!
author: Paul Williams
Steve Cone is a New York born, Arizona-based, metal guitarist and singer who I must admit I had never heard of when I received this CD, but this will now change after listening to his very impressive new solo album.
One thing is for sure, this man knows how to write killer rock riffs!! He also knows a thing or two about how to incorporate them in well constructed old school metal tracks. He has a pretty decent voice that has leanings towards the likes of Rob Halford. His style is uncompromising yet retains a sense of melody, despite guitar lines that rattle teeth and rock as hard as anything I’ve heard in a long while. This is very much the definition of what I grew up calling “Heavy Metal”…proper loud music that shook you to the very core and made you want to headbang.
The album kicks off with the title track, “In My Bones” whose riff-laden opening sets the tone for the whole album, the vocals then entering the fray and leading you nicely to a decent chorus. Good stuff indeed and a fine way to introduce you to the all-round talents of Mr. Cone.
You can feel your head start to nod and face contort into a snarl as “Killing Machine” gets down to business and refuses to let go. Very Judas Priest in style, this one. From then on, song after song assaults your senses and gets you wondering just how heavy this would sound in the live environment. I get the distinct feeling you would come away feeling battered and bruised, probably both physically and metaphorically, from a no-nonsense, no frills all-out metal onslaught.
Worthy of particular mention is the excellent “Nothing That I Can Do”, whilst there’s a good solo in the equally cool “Like The Dog I Am”. Also, “Inside Your Head” is a dark and brooding rocker, reminiscent of Metallica, which is total class from start to finish and possibly the highlight of the whole album for me.
I can’t blame anyone for not knowing the name of Steve Cone right now, but all proper metal fans should get a copy of this album to see what we’ve all been missing. You will not be disappointed !!
Hard Rock House
Paul Williams
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Its simply a kick ass release in my opinion.
author: Paul Autry
Pretty much everything you hear on this release, with the exception of the drum tracks, which were performed by Erik Fehrenbach, was done by Steve Cone himself. So, this is a true solo album in every sense of the word. Now, when you do everything on your own, it's kind of a risk. On one hand, it's a good thing because you have complete and total control of your vision and you can pretty much do what you wanna do without having to worry about other people. On the other hand, the only point of view you have is your own and that's not always a good thing. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience. I've heard solo releases that didn't turn out too well because the artist did everything himself. Luckily, that's not the case here. Steve did one hell of a job with this release. The quality of the music is fantastic. It sounds like a full band to me. As for his musical style, call it what you want...hard rock, heavy metal, whatever...it's simply a kick ass release in my opinion. A lot of these tunes sound like instant metal classics. They stick with you after the first listen. I'm talking about tunes like "Killing Machine," "Like The Dog I Am," "Get Down" and "Dead Like Me." If I never listen to this release again...I'll still have these tunes in my head and that's the sign of a release that's well worth checkin' out. Remember the old school hard rock/heavy metal that probably got you into music in the first place? Well, Steve took everything that made that music worth listening to and he gave it a fresh and modern sound. Yeah...this is metal for right now. Need I say more?
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He reminds the listener how to Rock.
author: PATRIK GUSTAVSSON
Metal Express Radio
It should not come as a surprise that Arizona resident guitarist/singer/composer/self-producer Steve Cone likes to keep busy. Yet, one cannot help raising an eyebrow when In My Bones arrives on these shores a mere seven months after it´s predecessor Distortion. Unlike the all “do yourself” exercise that was Distortion, Cone has this time utilized the talents of one Erik Fehrenbach, providing drum duties, which this time around packs more punch, and he also engineers the disc. Other than that, though, it´s all Cone again, cooking up Heavy Metal in his home studio. Cone certainly knows what he wants and he doesn’t seem to need a lot of help to make it happen.
The rocking attitude and Cone´s playing abilities help the matter, but the strength of the songs themselves is where the enjoyment of Cone´s music ultimately lies. Hard-driven, but never bombastic, often clever, but certainly not indulgent, the music of Steve Cone witness of days gone by. Imagine a soundtrack to accompany scenery of dirty rainy streets. Imagine a possible metalized-version of April Wine, complete with imagery of shady, smoky clubs with ripped apart Anvil posters on the sweaty walls.
There you have it; Steve Cone, working up a steam on stage with his street-smart, rocking Metal. Indeed, material such as “Your Eyes” and the stomping Metal of “Killing Machine” carry this point across perfectly. “Get Down” is pure sex-cheese, but things get back on the right track with “Nothing That I Can Do,” an utter cool guitar rhythm and a catchy chorus makes it arguably the best track on offer here. “Trapped” is good old instrumental Rock, and “Crazy Like Me” stands toe to toe, yet in contrast to the likes of “Inside Your Head" and “Euphoria.”
Forget for a while music which lacks driving riffs and features whiny-ass vocals that are presented as Rock today, or whatever lame stupidity chart poo your inconsiderate co-workers may insist on punishing your ears with during long days, accompanied by mainstream radio. In My Bones represents almost a parallel world in 2007 away from mainstream, a world of other priorities and values, and where downloading is still an unknown phenomena.
Slightly heavier than Distortion, In My Bones still feels varied, yet surprisingly coherent at the same time. Steve Cone doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but at least he reminds the listener how to Rock.
PATRIK GUSTAVSSON
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