Confessions of a darker, heavier experience
Is the world ready for Buckcherry’s Confessions? Probably more so than when Motley Crue decided to tell all in autobiography and album form a few years back.
But Buckcherry is upping the ante when it comes to spilling the dirt.
Originally an EP planned around the Seven Deadly Sins, Confessions has turned into a loosely conceptual, 13-song album that references events in singer Josh Todd’s life.
“It evolved; it just kept going,” says lead guitarist Keith Nelson. “When we wrote Gluttony (the first single), Josh just said he was going to call it that and we went from there. It all came out very naturally.”
Nelson says Confessions will be a “different sounding effort” from previous Buckcherry releases, darker and heavier than anything they’ve done in the past. This was a conscious effort on the part of the band — probably best known for bashers like Crazy Bitch and Too Drunk.
“I don’t want to do the same thing over and over again,” he sighs. “Not that I think we ever have, but we’re conscious of sometimes thinking ‘Oh, we can’t do that.’ I mean, why not? Let’s try it — what do we have to lose? I think that when you’re younger, you feel a little confined, but the truth is that any time you do something different, it’ll only make it stronger.”
Buckcherry’s mid-life crisis is peeking through in other ways as well. They’ve decided to change things up a little by releasing a short film that will tie in with the concept of the album, and also revolve around the seven deadly sins motif.
“We encouraged Josh to come up with a story to go with the album, so he wrote a screenplay based on some things that happened in his life. The movie will correspond with the album and the album with the movie, but each will be able to stand on its own. We haven’t shot it yet but we’re hoping to get to it in the near future.”
Nelson is pleased with the way Confessions, to be released Feb. 19, reflects the band’s eclectic musical backgrounds. Todd grew up an Orange County skate punk with a love for Prince; Nelson is a classic rocker who still listens to the Stones, Faces, Clash, Van Halen and the Sex Pistols. But Nelson doesn’t think he leans too heavily on them for inspiration for his own group. He believes Buckcherry’s music has developed significantly since they started out in 1995.
“I don’t think it’s possible for me to write the way I did back then, simply because I’m not a 20-yearold anymore. I think the spirit is still there, though, and the things that made me want to make music at 20 still fire me up. I want great lyrics, cool guitar riffs and beats. I want to move people, force a reaction whether good or bad.”
To do this, Nelson thinks it’s important to get back to the basics when possible.
“The band is still evolving, because we’re all different people now, but it has to rock. We keep up on this. Remember, we’re fans of music as well; we’re always listening. I go back to the same music I’ve always listened to, and I’m always checking new stuff out.”
While they’re always forging forward into new territories, Nelson is confident Buckcherry fans will stay with them.
“They follow us because they know that what we do is real. We’re not writing to a particular demographic, or trying to come up with a sound that people want to hear. I think they know this and they connect because of it. At least I hope that they know it’s real and not contrived.”