Vagabond Bones is a studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Helix

Helix (band)

Helix are a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band. They formed in 1974, and are best known for their 1984 single "Rock You". The original lineup was formed by drummer Bruce Arnold, and consisted of lead vocalist Brian Vollmer, guitarists Ron Watson and Rick "Minstrel" Trembley, keyboardist Don...

, 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 80's Helix lineup: Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...

, Brent Doerner, Daryl Gray, and Greg Hinz, as well as former member and co-producer Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly (Canadian musician)

Sean Kelly is a Canadian musician, currently playing guitar in the band with Nelly Furtado. He founded the Toronto-based glam rock band Crash Kelly, and is the band's lead singer and guitarist. Kelly was a member of Canadian rock band Helix, playing bass guitar. He stayed with them for most of...

. Kelly departed Helix during the production of Vagabond Bones, prompting the reunion of the 80's band. Kelly remained on hand to finish the record before leaving to tour with Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado

Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...

.

During the early stages of recording, frontman Brian Vollmer reunited the surviving members of the No Rest for the Wicked

No Rest for the Wicked (Helix album)

No Rest for the Wicked is the third studio album by the Canadian rock band Helix. It is also their major label debut, on Capitol Records.- Track list :All songs written by Helix except where noted# "Does a Fool Ever Learn" No Rest for the Wicked is the third studio album by the Canadian rock band...

lineup (Brent Doerner, Mike Uzelac, and Greg Hinz) to record a new version of the AC/DC

AC/DC

AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

 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 Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...

, Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly (Canadian musician)

Sean Kelly is a Canadian musician, currently playing guitar in the band with Nelly Furtado. He founded the Toronto-based glam rock band Crash Kelly, and is the band's lead singer and guitarist. Kelly was a member of Canadian rock band Helix, playing bass guitar. He stayed with them for most of...

 and Moe Berg

Moe Berg (musician)

Moe Berg is a Canadian singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer for the rock group The Pursuit of Happiness.-Biography:...

 except where noted.

1. The Animal Inside (Won’t Be Denied)
2. Go Hard or Go Home (Vollmer, Kelly)
3. Vagabond Bones
4. Monday Morning Meltdown
5. When The Bitter's Got The Better Of You (Vollmer, Kelly)
6. Hung Over But Still Hanging In (duet with Russ Graham of Killer Dwarfs
   Killer Dwarfs
   Killer Dwarfs were a heavy metal band who formed in late 1981 in Oshawa, Ontario. Though they were known for their off beat sense of humor , they were nominated for two Juno Awards....
   
   )
7. Best Mistake I Never Made (Vollmer, Kelly)
8. Make 'Em Dance (Vollmer, Gord Prior, Steve Georgakopoulos, Kelly)
9. Jack It Up (Vollmer, Kelly, McConnell)

Unreleased tracks

1. It's a Long Way To The Top (AC/DC
   AC/DC
   AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
   
    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

Sean Kelly (Canadian musician)

Sean Kelly is a Canadian musician, currently playing guitar in the band with Nelly Furtado. He founded the Toronto-based glam rock band Crash Kelly, and is the band's lead singer and guitarist. Kelly was a member of Canadian rock band Helix, playing bass guitar. He stayed with them for most of...

 and Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer

Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...

, except "Make 'Em Dance" produced by Gord Prior, Murray, Kelly, Vollmer.

Recorded at Pocket Studios, Toronto Ontario

Helix live band members

• Brian Vollmer
  Brian Vollmer
  Brian Vollmer is the lead singer and only remaining original member of Canadian hard rock group Helix. Helix was formed in 1974 by original drummer Bruce Arnold. Since that time, Vollmer had gone from lead singer to defacto leader of band, weathering numerous lineup changes...
  
   - 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
  Sean Kelly (Canadian musician)
  Sean Kelly is a Canadian musician, currently playing guitar in the band with Nelly Furtado. He founded the Toronto-based glam rock band Crash Kelly, and is the band's lead singer and guitarist. Kelly was a member of Canadian rock band Helix, playing bass guitar. He stayed with them for most of...
  
  - 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.