Fozzy's third all original album, and their best to date.

Most people who have read my reviews and interviews in the past will know I'm a huge fan of the band Fozzy, which features WWE Superstar Chris Jericho on vocals and Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward on guitar. I've liked just about everything Chris has ever done, from wrestling to writing to singing and the same goes for much of Rich Ward's recent musical output, especially the superb ‘Walking With Kings’ album and his expertly craftily solo record 'My Kung Fu Is Good'. I read on Facebook how pumped Jericho has been over 'Sin And Bones', and Rich Ward told me he thought this was the best thing Fozzy has ever done, if not the best thing he has ever done. Therefore, I was rather excited to hear what the band had come up with for this, their fifth album, and third of all original material.

'Sin And Bones' starts brightly with 'Spider In My Mouth', which thunders along courtesy of drummer Frank Fontserre's pounding and Rich Ward's crunching riff. Jericho has improved as a vocalist over the years and sounds in tremendous form here, and things only improve with 'Sandpaper', the band's first single. Chris sings at the top of his range, and is augmented by M Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold joining in the fun. The track boasts Fozzy's trademark power riffing but features a new, more melodic dimension in the chorus which previously wasn't as noticeable in their work. 'Blood Happens' shows they can still rock out at breakneck speed, before 'Inside My Head' slows things down and lets Jericho demonstrate his versatility. This slower number is excellent, building on the foundation laid by 'Broken Soul' on Fozzy's last album - this track reminding me of a hybrid of Ozzy Osbourne circa 'Ozzmosis' and Fozzy's classic 'Enemy'. 

The title track is textbook Fozzy and will please any existing fan, before the brooding 'A Passed Life' shows yet another string to the band's bow. The best offering, for me though, is the awesome 'She's My Addiction', featuring a great riff, a thunderous verse, a terrific vocal from Chris and a brilliant chorus fleshed out with some organ work and female backing vocals. Once heard, never forgotten, and a classic example of how Fozzy have woven more melody into their work while keeping their metal edge.

Also worthy of mention is another epic, the eleven and a half minute 'Storm The Beaches' which tells the story of a soldier in the Second World War. Much like its predecessor 'Wormwood' on 'Chasing The Grail', 'Storm The Beaches' is a sprawling, multi-part song that flows and goes by in what seems like half the time listed.

With all these additions to the Fozzy canon, I found 'Sin and Bones' took me longer than their previous records to really get to grips with, but that's because it's easily the most diverse. It still rocks hard, but I've grown to really embrace the new elements the band have added. The best album they've made? Yes gentlemen, I concur!

James Gaden