Mar. 24, 2010 - Issue #753: Zion I

Prevue

Back on a razor’s edge

Helix gets its original lineup back together for Vagabond Bones

'We've always done party music. We're very up people; I hope that's not a bad thing." Brian Vollmer laughs as he explains Vagabond Bones, the  14th and newest album from Canadian metal band Helix. And you can tell from Vollmer's genial nature that the band is glad to be creating music again. "I don't think I could do it without new material. For me it's writing new songs, having a good time, and enjoying being a performer."

Helix has gone through consistent line-up changes since the mid-90s, but just last summer the original members who made Helix the Canadian metal icon it is got back together, and Vagabond Bones is their first album back together.

"We went through a lot, spent fifteen years of our lives together," Vollmer explains, expressing the trust in a band that knows each other. "There's only one way to do it. Everyone knows the protocol and what it takes to be successful." 

And it's a formula that worked well for them before. Touring with the likes of Alice Cooper, Motley Crue and Motörhead made the band some of Canada's most prominent metalheads. But it wasn't always great times. After Vollmer started the group as part of battle of the bands, touring consisted of the cheapest way to travel

"We lived on 40 bucks a week, travelled on a Ford Galaxy with snow tires in the middle of summer," Vollmer recalls. "It's a lot more comfortable now."

Vollmer, who has taken on the responsibilities of management, in addition to running his own Bel Canto vocal coaching school, is obviously excited to be back on the road with a new album, under slightly cozier circumstances.

"We just broke top-30 with 'Make Em Dance,' and the video has had 12 000 hits so far," he exclaims. "So it's going well." V

Thu, Apr 1 (7 pm)
Helix
Century Casino, $19.95

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