''Vagabond Bones'' is a

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by heavy metal band Helix, released on November 17, 2009. It is Helix' 12th full-length studio album and 21st album released overall. It contains performances from members of the 1980s Helix lineup:

Brian Vollmer Brian Vollmer (born June 30, 1955) is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Since the band's inception in 1974, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to ''de facto'' leader of the band, weathering numero ...

, Brent Doerner, Daryl Gray and Greg Hinz, as well as former member and co-producer Sean Kelly. Kelly departed Helix during the production of ''Vagabond Bones'', prompting the reunion of the 1980s band. Kelly remained on hand to finish the record before leaving to tour with Nelly Furtado. During the early stages of recording, frontman Brian Vollmer reunited the surviving members of the '' No Rest for the Wicked'' lineup (Brent Doerner, Mike Uzelac, and Greg Hinz) to record a new version of the

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...

classic " It's a Long Way to the Top", to be included as a bonus track. The track was dropped, and it appears unlikely that it will ever be released due to legal reasons. The CD was originally to be titled ''It’s Rock Science, NOT Rocket Science!'', before being changed to ''Vagabond Bones'' after one of the songs on the album.

Track listing

All songs written by

, Sean Kelly and

Moe Berg Morris Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball, who later served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Although he played 15 seasons in the major leagues, ...

except where noted. # The Animal Inside (Won’t Be Denied) # Go Hard or Go Home (Vollmer, Kelly) # Vagabond Bones # Monday Morning Meltdown # When the Bitter's Got the Better of You (Vollmer, Kelly) # Hung Over But Still Hanging In (duet with Russ Graham of

Killer Dwarfs Killer Dwarfs (stylized as KiLLeR DWaRfS) is a Canadian hard rock band that formed in late 1981 in Oshawa, Ontario, and enjoyed moderate success in their native Canada in the 1980s. The band is known for its offbeat sense of humour (all band m ...

) # Best Mistake I Never Made (Vollmer, Kelly) # Make 'Em Dance (Vollmer, Gord Prior, Steve Georgakopoulos, Kelly) # Jack It Up (Vollmer, Kelly, McConnell)

Unreleased tracks

# It's a Long Way to the Top (

cover featuring Brent Doerner, Greg Hinz and Mike Uzelac)

Reception

The Waterloo Record called the album "...a sizzling collection of new tunes which rank among the band’s best." Classic Rock Magazine said that "''Vagabond Bones'' rocks hard, but never forgets the value of a memorable chorus."

Credits

Produced by Aaron Murray, Sean Kelly and

, except "Make 'Em Dance" produced by Gord Prior, Murray, Kelly, Vollmer.
Recorded at Pocket Studios,

Toronto Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Helix live band members

– lead vocals *Brent "The Doctor" Doerner – lead guitar *Kaleb "Duckman" Duck – lead guitar *Greg "Fritz" Hinz – drums *Daryl Gray – bass guitar

CD Musicians

*Brian Vollmer – vocals * Sean Kelly – guitar, bass, background vocals *Brent "The Doctor" Doerner – guitar, background vocals *Steve Georgakopoulos – guitar *Brent "Ned" Niemi – drums *Rob MacEachern – drums *Greg "Fritz" Hinz – drums *Daryl Gray – bass, background vocals *Cheryl Lescom – vocals

Music videos

* "Vagabond Bones" * "Hung Over But Still Hanging In" (alternate version without duet) * "Make 'Em Dance" * "Monday Morning Meltdown" "Make 'Em Dance" was produced by Brent Doerner and Red Dust Films. The video was directed by Francis Coral Mellon and edited by Matt Robertshaw. This was the first new video to feature Hinz, Gray and Doerner in over 20 years. Kaleb Duck also appears. "Monday Morning Meltdown" was produced and edited by Brent Doerner, and directed by Francis Coral Mellon for Red Dust Films.HELIX - 'Monday Morning Meltdown' Video Available
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References

{{Authority control Helix (band) albums 2009 albums