Interview: The Bronx practically disproves rumors of the death of rock and punk in 'Bronx VI'

Approaching their 20th anniversary, The Bronx released one of the most explosive albums of the last year. In Bronx VI, their sixth studio album, the American band delivers the best of the hard rock punk they are known for.

Released in August 2021, the album is surgical and straightforward: the 11 tracks pass by in a mere 40 minutes, delivering exactly what is needed in each track, but without holding back. 

Matt Caughthran 's raw and furious vocals , accompanied by the band's experience and precision, The Bronx showcases the fruits of a relationship of mutual trust between its members – perhaps the least rock 'n' roll aspect of the album, which, fortunately for the audience, contributes to an impeccable final result.

“The band is in a good place, we talk to everyone almost every day [or] a few times a week,” guitarist Ken Horne told Wikimetal about the creation of the album, which was recorded at the end of 2019. “It’s fun, we still have a lot of ideas, we say ‘I want to do this, I want to do that.’ I think we never hit a dead end when we want to do something, you know? We’ve always been creative in that way.”

This effervescent creativity has marked the guitarist's career since he picked up the guitar to learn to play. Lacking the patience to learn heavy metal songs with rigorous technique, young Horne listened to guitar solos identical to studio versions in Dokken , but broadened his horizons when he realized that Hanoi Rocks ("one of my favorite bands," he said) completely changed the structure of their solos in live shows.

“At first, I thought, ‘I can’t play anything note for note,’ but then you discover punk and learn that it doesn’t have to be that way, you can do it your way. I still don’t have the discipline for many things,” he explained. “I think you need to play your own way; if I had the discipline and did my homework every day after school, I don’t think I would be a musician.”.

Even with a well-defined musical identity, the band manages to balance the natural evolution of a group with so many years on the road with the expectations of the public. "I think most of my fans accept it well, there are some who love the first album and want the band to continue with that sound, but it just changes, you're not the same person you were in 2002 compared to 2021, everything changes as a person when you're 20, 40 or 50 years old," he observed. 

Despite not being entirely sure about his own mental state, Ken Horne celebrates the fact that the band "didn't go crazy" during quarantine. Bronx VI merchandise collection for the album, as well as collaborating with visual artists on the covers for each song.

The biggest challenge nowadays is keeping the listener interested when streaming platforms offer so much content. And who hasn't skipped tracks on an album until something catches their eye, without giving the songs a proper chance? "We're all guilty of that," admits Horne. "Whenever we record a new album, I always wonder how long this will still be going on. Because now people just record and release the songs, you can do that in two days. I'm old school, I like the whole process of making an album.". 

In “Curb Feelers,” the chorus suggests that rebellion also becomes routine and “now you’re dying like the punk scene” – but this frenetic critique of their own lifestyle doesn’t mean disbelief in punk, on the contrary. “No [it’s not dying], it’s strong. In California, punk bands always appear… I mean, sometimes there are many, other times not so many, but they’re always there,” he pointed out.

And what about the question of rock n' roll's death? “It's not dead, there are many rock bands. It hasn't died, it's just different, the way people listen to music has changed. We don't have iconic rock stars anymore, but I don't think it's dead,” Horne observed. “Every year, they say rock is dead, and the next year they say rock is coming back. As long as people say rock is dead, someone will say it's returning. We are too passionate about rock for it to simply disappear.”. 

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