Hardbone – Hardbeat

Hardbone
Hardbeat
Label: Massacre Records
Out: 18^th September 2026
Playing time: 42:39

For twenty years now, Hamburg-based Hardbone have been delivering their uncompromising Rock ’n’ Roll to Hard Rock andMetal fans. But things have been a bit quiet around the band in recent years, at least as far as studio releases are concerned. Their last album, “No Frills”, was released in May 2020. Now their sixth album, “Hardbeat”, is in the pipeline. Back in April, Hardbone released a taster in the form of the single “Four To The Floor”. I’ve already had the chance to experience their live performances on several occasions, for example when they supported Rose Tattoo at the Markthalle in Hamburg.

The title track “Hardbeat” is nothing more than a short instrumental intro with some sound effects and, in my view, is dispensable. The album therefore only really gets going with “Four To The Floor”. It’s riff-driven and characterised by Tim Dammann’s raspy voice. There’s also distinctive harmonised vocals in the chorus and a strong first guitar solo – which, of course, one might say is to be expected. The Hardbone trademarks are also clearly audible on “House Of Rock ’n’ Roll”. The musical parallels to AC/DC or even Rose Tattoo are very evident. The obligatory guitar solo is very melodic. ‘Big Dog’ kicks off with a powerful bassline, into which the guitars then cut in hard. Despite the drums and guitar riffs, the song isn’t quite that fast. At the start of ‘Evil For A Good Cause’, the singer really lets his raspy voice rip. Later on, the song takes on a rhythmic quality, accompanied by powerful twin guitar riffs. Both guitarists then shine with their solos. The intro to “Going Commando” features guitar riffs and calm, rhythmic drumming. These continue to set the tempo later on, whilst Tim Dammann throws in a few rough “spoken word” parts. The guitar solo then brings a slight increase in tempo. “Hole In My Heart” is fast and rhythmic. “You Made Me Do It” is characterised by the excellent interplay between the two guitarists, whilst the drums set the rhythm. Once again, a song of the slightly calmer sort – if you can even call it ‘calm’ given the Hard Rock sound. Following the rhythmic banger ‘One Night Away’, the high-speed ‘Unstoppable’ and the Hard Rock anthem ‘Hard To Get’, the album concludes with the blues-influenced ‘Bad (As You Want Me To Be)’, which strongly reminds me of Rose Tattoo.

As already mentioned, the influences of AC/DC and Rose Tattoo are clearly evident. This isn’t just down to the raspy vocals; the instrumentalists also play their part. What clearly sets Hardbone apart from AC/DC, however, is the variety in their songwriting and arrangements. Despite all the similarities, the sound feels fresh and reflects the enjoyment Hardbone have in making their music.

Hardbone – Four To The Floor: https://youtu.be/ltvQZAoBL6s?si=gA3ymLWrsXRToBNm

Lineup:

Tim Dammann – Vocals
Sebastian Kranke – Guitars
Luca Rosnau – Guitars
Tim Schwarz – Bass
Benjamin Ulrich – Drums

Track list:

• Hardbeat
• Four To The Floor
• House Of Rock ‘n’ Roll
• Big Dog
• Evil For A Good Cause 
• Going Commando
• Hole In My Heart
• You Made Me Do It
• One Night Away
• Unstoppable 
• Hard To Get 
• Bad (As You Want Me To Be)