
Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
1:00 AM 11th January 2025
arts
Review
Albums: Crossbone Skully - Evil World Machine
Crossbone Skully - Evil World Machine
Evil World Machine; The Boom went Boom; Money Sex or God; Flip the Bird; Everyone’s on Dope; The Sin Eater; Ima Bone Machine; Let’s Bust the Trust; High on You; I am the Wolf; I’m Unbreakable; The Last Night on Earth; Misfits of the Universe.
(Better Noise Music)
If you thought you could hear AC/DC on this debut album from Crossbone Skully, you might have a point; legendary producer Mutt Lange, who produced many AC/DC albums, came out of retirement to be the executive producer on
Evil World Machine.
Led and conceptualised by Tommy Henriksen (guitarist and musical director for Alice Cooper’s band and member of Hollywood Vampires), he enlisted a sterling group of supporting musicians for the album, including guitarist Tommy Denander, keyboardist Jamie Muhoberac (My Chemical Romance, John Mayer, Seal), bassist Chris (Hollywood Vampires, Ace Frehley, The Cult, Ozzy Osbourne), drummer Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper, Hollywood Vampires), the late UFO bassist Pete Way, mixer Olle Romo (Muse, Bryan Adams), and producer/mixer Mike Plotnikoff (AC/DC, Aerosmith). The album also features guest features and spoken word appearances from A-list actor/musician and fellow Hollywood Vampires bandmate Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), and Kane Roberts.
While the album is described as a concept album, each song stands up in its own right, from the title track, which also comes with the deep drum sound of Def Leppard, to the Alice Cooper-like Ima A Bone Machine.
If you thought that they didn’t make classic rock albums, then think again, as Evil World Machine will have any rock fan with excellent taste quavering in their boots. Let's Beat the Trust resembles a traditional Irish song transformed into a rock sound, a surprising departure from the album's previous focus on straightforward rock 'n' roll.
High on You is probably the most radio-friendly song on the album; the track comes with a hook that is sharper than barbed wire mixed with timeless heavy rock tones.
If the band were to tour in some form or another, depending on who is available to perform, that would be the icing on the cake. We should definitely salute Crossbone Skully for this authentic rock album.