Bone Machine
Disappearing Inc.

I had been thinking for a while about writing my first review for DeBaser. Today, I'm trying to see what comes out of it, and on this occasion, I'm asking the readers for some understanding regarding any shyness or beginner's naiveté. I'm choosing the third and last CD of the band Bone Machine as the first work to give my opinion on.

"Temporary" band, I would dare to say, formed more for fun or passion than with the intention of seriously promoting themselves to the general public. The band was formed, if I recall correctly from the scant information circulated in those years, from the meeting between the guitarist and composer John Allen III and the singer Ted Poley (former frontman of the hard-rock pop-metal band, Danger Danger). Ted was invited to try out a few jam sessions with the group members, and from those experiences, a commendable chemistry was born, captured on the first demo CD, "DOGS".

Defining their musical style is a bit complicated; obviously, the voice and charisma of the singer immediately bring to mind the unforgettable experience of the early Danger Danger. However, we are very far from the catchy songs all about curves or the refined ballads of this cult band for lovers of Melodic Hard Rock. Bone Machine's style is a unique alchemy, where the sweetness and tenderness of the melodies and Ted Poley's voice blend with the raw, stripped nature of any stylistic refinement in the sounds. Both in the first demo CD and the second, more professional "Disappearing Inc." which I will talk about shortly, one of the aspects that immediately stands out is the immediacy of the music, the spontaneity, and the genuineness of the compositions, almost as if witnessing an improvised showcase of the band. This roughness in the executive aspect, perhaps accentuated by the limited financial resources with which the band's albums were produced, becomes one of the group's major virtues, remembered, at least by Ted Poley's fans, as an unforgettable moment in the singer's career.

In 1996 Bone Machine released this anticipated CD after the excellent reception of the demo DOGS (1994) (Kerrang reviewed it with a whopping 4K out of 5) and the subsequent live "Search And Destroy", recorded during some dates held in London for the group presentation. "Disappearing Inc." remains to this day the last work of this band, which was never greatly exposed or visible, but definitely gained a hardcore following of loyal fans.

The cover of this album is sadly more known, if nothing else, than the album itself, because it featured a disturbing image of the two twin towers of the WTCenter, where one of the towers was collapsing onto the other, both covered with mosses and plants, suggesting a collapse of modern civilization. This image later came to be seen, in recent years, as an unfortunate omen for the events of September 11. For this reason, it seems the album was never reissued. (One might suggest to Ted Poley that if there really was an intention to reissue this CD, a new cover could certainly be created.. but perhaps the story of the unfortunate omen also serves to keep the disc's value high among enthusiasts..).

"Disappearing Inc." was immediately greeted by the international critics with excellent reviews; the CD indeed showcases a definite compositional improvement compared to previous works and also a maturation in Ted Poley's vocal interpretation. Delving into the singer's website, Ted himself acknowledges that Disappearing Inc. is the best album where he lent his voice; I believe he means since he was unceremoniously kicked out from Danger Danger, because it is undeniable that the first two albums of this historic pop metal band perhaps represent Ted's vocals at their finest.

In "Disappearing Inc." however, we find a Ted Poley in great shape, managing to be abrasive and raw like the band's sounds and at the same time charming and moving with his excellent interpretation in the more melodic parts. I am not an inveterate fan of Danger Danger, although I consider them one of the best pop metal bands presented to us at the end of the 80s and early 90s, for this reason, I consider Bone Machine more than "Ted Poley's band", as a group strongly dominated by John Allen III's compositional and executive skill. Most of the songs presented by the group were his (co-written with Ted Poley in any case), and this is the big difference between Bone Machine and Danger Danger that inevitably gets made by those who listen to this group. Personally, I find J.Allen III's compositions extremely commendable, finding great immediacy not just in sound impact but especially in the harmony between music and lyrics, and often I find myself very much in the group's songs.

Among the tracks in "Disappearing Inc.", two songs already appear from the group's first work, the beautiful ballads "Missing You" and "Mrs. Frankenstein" with a partly modified arrangement. Since first listening, more than 11 years ago now, I considered them as two good songs but not as splendid as the original versions from the demo CD "DOGS". Perhaps this is because they were partly cleaned from that marked roughness of the first work, roughness that made them much more engaging. In any case, within the album's economy, they are two very important and enjoyable moments. "Disappearing Inc." alternates more hard rock songs, like the first "Man Alive", "Beautiful" or the splendid "The Only Ones" where Ted Poley's and John Allen III's voices blend in almost hypnotic choruses, with slower, sweeter, and more melodic songs like "Deep Inside", "Lately", "Missing You" and the beautiful "Anisha". They are never predictable songs; there is an absence of any self-indulgence typical of a rock band; instead, often there are profound and mature lyrics and sometimes a somewhat depressive streak that fortunately remains within the charm of the song (luckily it doesn't "transmit" too much to the listener), as in the songs "Shadows" and "The Song".

An album I've listened to countless times, which, despite its sparse and unsophisticated production, is still one of the albums I can enjoy listening to without ever finding it outdated and without frantically skipping from one track to another. I would recommend it to anyone, not just to Melodic Hard Rock enthusiasts. It could be a beautiful and unexpected discovery.