Helldorado was formed in the spring of 2001 in Stavanger, Norway. Most of the members had been playing in a local band called The Tramps for several years. They where looking for a much darker and broader musical landscape, and got together playing punked up surf covers with their new band Helldorado. In the fall of 2002 Helldorado won the traditional Norwegian Battle of the Bands called ZOOM winning a full Norwegian tour plus a couple of gigs in the UK and Germany.

Bones in the Closet is their latest album, comprised of 12 tracks with a running time of 48 min, 40 sec. There's a distinct Mexican Western sound here, with a mariachi band feel that tells tales of heroes and anti-heroes. The inclusion of the piano helps to add much more depth on tracks like 'Misery And Woe' and 'Sixty Seconds To What?'

Highlights include 'Misery And Woe'; 'John McMiller'; 'Times Of Trial'; and 'Sixty Seconds To What?' (even if the lyrics are a little on the cliched side).

Helldorado certainly have a unique feel to their music and if you're looking for something a little different, whilst still being mainstream enough to not alienate you from your friends, you could do a lot worse than pick this up.

7

Nick Smithson