On Friday, June 1, the Anaheim, California native band, Buckcherry released their ninth studio album titled “Vol. 10.” Pretty funny that their ninth studio record is titled “Vol. 10” huh?

When I listened to this record the night it was released, it was on a total whim. All I knew from Buckcherry was that the lead singer, Josh Todd was almost in Velvet Revolver before Slash decided to go with Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. For any fan of Velvet Revolver, Slash, or Buckcherry it really is a pretty cool story. 

As many of you know, there are designated days when a handful of record labels will release their artist’s music and Friday, June 1, was one of those days when bands like The Foo Fighters and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts were slated to release new and anticipated music.

After I got done listening to the previously mentioned band’s albums, I saw that Buckcherry released a new record. All I knew of them was the Slash story and the fact that they were opening for Skid Row on their North American leg of The Gang’s All Here tour.

Let me tell you, I am so glad that I decided to listen to this record. It’s awesome.

The first song on the record, “This and That,” has that beautifully southern twang. Todd has an amazing voice and it’s extremely unique. His style of singing isn’t a prototype of someone else, it’s truly his own.

“This and That” is a super catchy song with an extremely catchy chorus containing the title of the track. There’s an awesome and sleazy slide guitar solo which is why this track is the perfect opening to a record.

 The record rolls into the second song, “Good Time.” If you’re thinking about what this record is about, then just read the title of the song.

 Drummer Francis Ruiz provides a jumpy beat during the entire song as Todd belts out the chorus of “ I wanna have a good time make it last all night and get so high til we reach the sky, you are so right and it ain’t no lie, I’m alive, yeah I’m gonna have a good time, woo!”

This is the type of song that you just want to bang your head to and roll down the windows as you crank up this tune.

The next two songs, “Keep on Fighting,” and “Turn It On” are your regular hard rock songs that will make any hard rock fan raise their fist and yell (sorry for stealing that Alice Cooper!)

Like any rock record, you have to have a ballad. I mean you don’t have to, but they’re nice to have. This brings us to track five, “Feels Like Love.”

“Feels Like Love” is a little over four minutes of a hard rock ballad of a guy who is almost sure that he is in love with his partner. Buckcherry doesn’t really strike me as a ballad band but if they were to include more songs like “Feels Like Love” then I would be fully behind them, it’s an awesome, classic ballad.

The next song, “One and Only,” is the perfect connector between the ballad in the middle to the hard rock music that caps off the rest of the record. I love the groove between the bassist, Kelly LeMieux and Ruiz.

The next four songs, tracks seven through 10 are classic hard rock riffs that no one can complain about.

As you look at the very end of the record, you’ll see a very familiar song, “Summer of ‘69.”

Buckcherry’s version of this rock classic by Bryan Adams is perfect. I love their heavy hard rock interpretation of the song and how they made it their own despite it being a cover.

My only negative remark would be, it runs on the short side at 37 minutes. As someone who really enjoyed this record, I wouldn’t have minded seeing this record run on the longer side, north of the 45-minute mark

For someone who never listened to a Buckcherry song in my life, this was the perfect start and I’m so glad that I listened to this record.

It’s time for everyone’s favorite time, it’s time for The Singer’s Thoughts:

1. This is such a great record and as of right now it’s in the running for album of the summer in my books
2. After hearing their cover of “Summer of ‘69,” I would love to hear a record of covers that have inspired the band, I think they’d have a really strong record of covers
3. My third thought is a piece if advice for listening to new music, try a new band because you could just become a fan of that band like I did, you never know

Overall Grade: 8/10