HELIX - Skin In The Game (2011)

*

With 5 gold and 2 platinum albums already in the bag, Helix are one of the biggest Canadian rock bands in history.
Founding lead singer Brian Vollmer has kept the Helix legacy alive through multiple lineup changes over the years, but since their last 2009 album 'Vagabond Bones', the band features a mostly original line-up including Brent Doerner on guitar, Greg 'Fritz' Hinz on drums and Daryl Gray on bass and keyboards.

Now they are releasing a 5-track EP "Skin In The Game".
These songs are really just a continuation of the 'Vagabond Bones' CD, written by Vollmer together with previous guitar payer Sean Kelly, now replaced by Kaleb Duck.
So if you liked 'Vagabond...' you will like this EP as well.
If you never listened the last material from the band, you'll get an ’80s Hard Rock sound rooted in classic format, with solid melodic guitars and energetic vocals.

After the funny NASCAR-like guitar fueled instrumental opener "William Tell Overture" (including the classic Vollmer's 'wooow'), The EP title track "Skin In The Game" sets the style of the following tracks; fun rockers in the typical Helix style; crunchy melodious Hard Rock with some Blues and some Boogie influences, an overall feel-good atmosphere and the in-your-face attitude that we’ve all known Helix for for so long.
Listening the immediate sing-along chorus of "The Bitch Is A Bullet" (great solo), the 'ol and classy "Champagne Communist" (including keyboards) that reminds you their early times or the more slick and melodic "Angelina", this is unmistakeably HELIX.


"Skin In The Game" is better than I expected.
Brian Vollmer's voice still has the edge to carry the songs and leave his stamp on them, the guitars are energetic but clean and melodic, while the rhythm section is solid as usual, I like specially the drum sound.
More Melodic Hard Rock oriented the rather simply 'hard', this EP shows that these old gentlemen still have the grip in them and it has turned out to be a good, fun listen.
Nice & Rockin'.


You've seen it first here, at 0dayrock


1/5 - William Tell Overture
2/5 - Skin In The Game
3/5 - The Bitch Is A Bullet
4/5 - Angelina
5/5 - Champagne Communist


Brian Vollmer - Lead Vocals
Brent Doerner - Lead Guitar
Kaleb Duck - Guitar
Daryl Gray - Bass, Keyboards
Fritz Hinz - Drums




BUY IT !
www.planethelix.com/Store/CDs.htm

Read more...

HELIX - Smash Hits...Unplugged! (2011)

The biggest hard rock band in Canadian history, with a catalogue of music that spans a history of over 30 years, the saga of Helix continues today with the release of ‘Smash Hits…Unplugged!’, a newly recorded acoustic look back through the band’s biggest hits including “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’”, “Make Me Do (Anything You Want)” and “Rock You” to name but a few of the band’s well known anthems that have been featured in many TV shows and movies over the years.
Featuring some special guests and most of the original band line-up (Brian Vollmer, Brent Doerner, Greg “Fitz” Hinz and Daryl Gray)

Brian Vollmer:
"The recording was a pleasant and fun time from start to finish. It was Sean Kelly (Crash Kelly) who kept pushing me to record it and finally I caved in.
We got the band together at Brent Doerner place and hammered out some arrangements and then it was off to the studio.
We had a rough idea of other instruments we were going to use, but it wasn't until we actually got there and tried a lot of them that we actually knew whether they would work or not.
We also brought in outside musicians and singers.
On 'The Kids are all Shakin' Wendy Wright came in to play fiddle, and Cheryl Lescom (one of the greatest undiscovered female singers in Canada) sang (or should I say wailed!) background vocals. Sean also added guitar, dobro, and banjo on several songs.
For the football vocals on 'Rock You' we utilized the services of my old friend Doug Weir of SYRE and my student John Edwards, who just happens to be Fritz's nephew. Douglas Legg and Kellen DeVos, friends of Aaron's, also participated. And a good time was had by all! "

"Brent came up with some great arrangement ideas and as well as playing guitar, tried his hand at playing mandolin in a couple of tracks.
Daryl went over and above, arriving early and staying late. He played everything from his bass to keyboards, washboard, bodhran, and harmonica, as well as singing his ass off.
Fritz experimented with different beats and used brushes on a few songs (a HELIX first!) and Kaleb showed his maturity by playing guitar like an old pro."


Smash Hits...Unplugged! is the real Helix reunion album. All original Helix members participate.
Unlike the last albums, you can actually hear Greg Hinz and Daryl Gray singing. Gray in particular contributes a lot to this album, including singing, bass, guitars, and exotic instruments such as bodhran.
Every song on this album was a hit at one point or another. The new acoustic arrangements are startlingly original, particularly "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin", which shines with great harmony vocals and mandolin courtesy of guitar slinger Brent Doerner. This excellent, energetic version is followed by a great single-worthy version of "The Kids Are All Shakin".
The ballads are also well done, in particular the shoulda-been hit "That Day Is Gonna Come" and their cover of "Dream On".
"Touch Of Magic" is a cover-tribute to James LeRoy, recorded for the first time by the band.
Cool album.


01 - Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
02 - The Kids Are All Shakin'
03 - Heavy Metal Love
04 - That Day Is Gonna Come
05 - Dream On
06 - Deep Cuts The Knife
07 - Make Me Do (Anything You Want)
08 - Good To The Last Drop
09 - Wild In The Streets / No Rest For The Wicked
10 - Touch Of Magic
11 - Rock You


Brian Vollmer - Vocals, Guitar
Brent Doerner - Guitar, Mandolin,
Daryl Gray - Bass, Vocals, Keyboards, Bodhran, Harmonica
Greg “Fitz” Hinz - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Wendy Wright - Fiddle
Cheryl Lescom - Backing Vocals
Sean Kelly - Guitar, Dobro, Banjo
Kaleb Duck - Guitar


www.planethelix.com
IF YOU LIKE IT, BUY IT!

Read more...