Graham Bonnet is one of the classic voices of heavy metal, having sung with bands such as Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, and Alcatrazz to name the best known. You must be doing something right when legendary guitarists like Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Vai are happy to have you as their vocalist. In recent years he’s even had people like Slash, Vivian Campbell, Bruce Kulick and Dario Mollo play on his albums.
Bonnet’s career goes further back than that, though. He had his first hit single with the duo The Marbles in 1968 when Only One Woman reached #5 in the UK chart. This means he is currently in his seventh decade (!) as a recording artist, but there are no signs of him slowing down.
In recent years he has shared his time between his own version of Alcatrazz and the solo project Graham Bonnet Band. The GBB was formed in 2015, and they already have several albums and tours under their belt.
As the GBB returns with Day Out In Nowhere, we notice signs of upheaval in the ranks. Only guitarist Conrado Pesinato and bassist Beth-Ami Heavenstone still stand by Bonnet’s side, and these are the three who are now presented as full band members. We’ll see if studio musicians Shane Gaalaas (drums) and Alessandro Bertoni (keyboards) end up sticking around. Other guests on the album include Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Alcatrazz), Roy Z (Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, Tribe of Gypsies), John Tempasta (the Cult, Testament), and Don Airey (Deep Purple).
Musically, Bonnet is not ringing in any changes. We are still talking about hard rock of the kind that he is known for, which is exactly what people want from him. The album is full of riff-fuelled songs with plenty of room for melodies. Some songs charge ahead, others lean back a bit, and other songs soar towards the skies. There is a lot of diversity in approaches and arrangements, with the soaring voice providing the link between the songs.
Bonnet’s voice has always been an incredible asset. He turns 75 in 2022, but still sings with the same power (strong!) and range (very high!) that made him stand out initially. Most vocalists his age have had to modify how they sing and/or tune down the key of their classic songs to be able to do them justice, which isn’t something I even fault anyone for having to do, but Bonnet is obviously not like anyone else. The fact that he is still delivering on the same level that he has always done, at least in the studio, is incredible. Those who enjoy and are fans of his vocal delivery will still get what they want. This also means that he can emulate any era of his career, and is able to sing anything from his extended back catalogue live.
Day Out In Nowhere was released on 13 May 2022, and fits well within Bonnet’s catalogue of work. As always, we are talking about hard rock sung with solid vocal melodies and catchy riffs. At the same time, the band is keen to deliver, and the album frequently has an energy level above what we’re used to from Bonnet’s projects.
The opening track Imposter shows this intensity well, with energetic playing and singing all around. At the same time the track has plenty of throwbacks to a classic Deep Purple/Uriah Heep tradition of combining guitars and keyboards in its arrangement, although with a more progressive rhythm.
The intensity and technical playing largely defines the latter-day Bonnet sound, so when the foot eases off the speed pedal just a little bit for Twelve Steps To Heaven, it goes a long way towards making it sound more like a 1980s-style Bonnet track. It is melodic, insistently played, and with a nice keyboard theme adding a lot especially to the verses, playing over a bass and drums bedding. The song explodes a bit more in the choruses. In sum, this is a melodic hard rock track of high quality with a lot of pointers to earlier works. Lyrically it refers to the twelve-step program of recovering from substance abuse.
Brave New World is an immediate, catchy song with a strong melody. Guesting guitarist Roy Z is given a lot of room to shine, and we can hear that Bonnet is more than able to harmonise with himself. Especially the chorus contain a lovely choir of Grahams.
As mentioned, the band frequently plays with an intense level of energy. Uncle John combines this with a quirky and somewhat progressive rhythm pattern. The song is impressive from a technical perspective, with a lot of unusual passages and tempo changes, and a lot less melody lines for Bonnet to work with. It demands a lot from the listener though – not just musically, but lyrically as well. It tells the story of a sexual predator of children moving to a new town, planning to resume his activities there. The subject matter is uncomfortable, but important. It was a brave choice of the band to make such a difficult song in every way one of the singles from the album, even making a video for it. Clearly not a commercial decision, but an admirable one for wanting to highlight an important subject.
The near title track comes next, and Day Out of Nowhere immediately brings us back into familiar waters. It features clear, strong, and melodic vocals from Bonnet. The exact same thing could be said about the music. It is simply speaking a lovely and positive melodic hard rock track, which starts out celebrating a lovely day driving through a lovely countryside, before they end up in a more desolate area with no signs of life or vegetation.
The guitars in the intro of The Sky Is Alive have a distinct eastern flair (with some shades of the classic Desert Diamond by Alcatrazz), with those atmospheric sections appearing before each verse, leading into more of a traditional hard rock arrangement. The song have many interesting sections and elements, but at least to this listener they don’t fully gel.
David’s Mom is probably the most straightforward rock song on the album. The song is very tongue-in-cheek about a teen’s fantasies about his friend’s mother. The song is energetic and upbeat, offering something different on the album which adds to the whole.
A lot of the songs on this album have elements that remind me of recent Deep Purple. This is also true for When We’re Asleep, which manages to be melodic and heavy at the same time. The Deep Purple influence is even stronger on It’s Just A Frickin’ Song, which even has a guest appearance by Purple keyboardist Don Airey. The classic Hammond sound is enough to give the entire song more of a 1970s rock sound, and Airy has generously been given center stage on this song, making it keyboard centric. The song is about having writer’s block, which I’m sure every (song)writer can relate to.
Jester is one of the heaviest songs on the album. It features Jeff Loomis from Arch Enemy on guitars which is very noticeable. The song is not just very energetic, but filled with crunching riffs and face-melting solos. It all adds up to a song with a darker and more ominous sound than we find elsewhere, almost turning it neo-classical in its approach. As dark and heavy as the song is, there are still melodic segments, and Bonnet’s voice will always make sure there is a melody line at the center of things that the music can gravitate around. It’s a fascinating song, adding to the musical palate of the album.
The album ends on a different note with Suzy, which is a fully orchestrated ballad with a huge sound. I have certainly never heard Bonnet sing to such an accompaniment before, but that is exactly the reason to do it, and it works well.
Initially, I mentioned that you know what you get from Graham Bonnet. While this is true, there are variations thereof and attempts at creating new things here that shows a desire for trying out different things. The results are still not groundbreaking, and you will know what to expect, but you can also be reassured that this album is not made by someone who is happy to rest on their laurels. This is an album that takes its proud place in a long and esteemed discography.
The best part? We get to enjoy a Graham Bonnet who still sounds pretty close to how he did when he was half his current age. I know none of us would have put money on that back in the day, but here we are. Who knows how much longer we can expect him to stay on that level, let alone be active in music, but we certainly can (and should) enjoy the man and his musical compadres right here and now.
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