Erik Grönwall's 'Bad Bones' - Album Review

The solo album has long been a route for musicians more associated with band environments to try something new, outside the confines of said band, or to provide a change and a freedom following leaving said band. The latter is relevant to today's album, as I am covering Bad Bones - the latest release from the Swedish rock singer Erik Grönwall. I first came across Grönwall in the early 2010s whilst he was a member of the Swedish hard rock and AOR act H.E.A.T - with whom he released four studio albums and two live albums between 2010 and 2020. I first heard of H.E.A.T in either 2010 or 2011, but it was not until 2012's Address the Nation that I started to properly pay attention. I loved Address the Nation at the time, but for some reason I then fell of the H.E.A.T wagon - and it was not until 2018 when I saw the band live for the first time opening for The Quireboys that I truly became a fan. I quickly picked up all of the band's albums, and saw them again in 2019 opening for Skid Row (more on them later) - only for Grönwall to leave H.E.A.T in 2020 during the pandemic. H.E.A.T have since continued, with original frontman Kenny Leckremo back on board, whilst Grönwall's career since has been quite varied. Before his time in H.E.A.T he won the Idol reality TV show in Sweden - which likely made him appear on H.E.A.T's radar. Not long after leaving H.E.A.T, though, Grönwall was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. My understand is that he has since made a full recovery, or least as much of a recovery as one can realistically make, despite him still suffering from the lingering effects of the cancer and its treatment. This cancer certainly had an impact on his next venture - which was to front the US heavy/glam metal act Skid Row for a couple of years. During his time with Skid Row, the band released the strong The Gang's All Here (which I reviewed here), and an excellent live album dropped after he had left, but Grönwall has since said that the band's busy schedule did not suit his recovery needs - and that Skid Row's core members were not willing to scale back on their activity. This led to Grönwall leaving Skid Row, and the band has, perhaps ironically, been dormant since. Perhaps more befitting Grönwall's needs, then, was a stint with the Michael Schenker Group. Much of Grönwall's tenure with Schenker, and the door somewhat seems open for him to return one day, consisted of a tour focusing on the latter's time in UFO - although he did also contribute to around half of last year's Don't Sell Your Soul (which I reviewed here), a rather bland album that failed to capture the imagination. With H.E.A.T, Skid Row, and possibly Schenker now behind him - Grönwall has branched out on his own, and his sixth solo album Bad Bones dropped last month. Whilst Bad Bones is his sixth solo effort, it feels like his true solo debut. The two solo albums he released back in 2009 and 2010 do have some original material between them, but there are also plenty of covers on both, whilst his three more recent Erikspanations albums only contain covers. Bad Bones, then, is his first album of all original material - and it was co-produced, co-written, and partially performed by some familiar names in Fredrik Thomander (Vildsvin) and Jona Tee (H.E.A.T; New Horizon). Tee remains one of the main driving forces of H.E.A.T, but is still clearly close to Grönwall, whilst Thomander has worked with H.E.A.T in the past - and is a known studio musician and songwriter in the melodic rock world. Anders Wikström (Treat), who often works with Thomander, also co-wrote and performed on a number of the songs here; whilst Philip Näslund (Raid; Bruce Dickinson) and Pedro Moyà (MUTsomos) contributed guitars and drums respectively throughout.

The core band, then is essentially Näslund and Thomander on guitars, with the latter also handling the bass, Tee on keyboards, and Moyà on drums - although others, especially Wikström, help out. I am unfamiliar with Grönwall's previous solo work, but Bad Bones is essentially what I expected from him as a solo artist. There are songs here that recall his time in H.E.A.T, albeit with a dryer and more guitar-heavy overall sound, plus some more modern-sounding hard rock numbers. It is a short album, but the 10 songs here are very solid - so there is a lot to like here. The album kicks off with one of the more modern-sounding hard rockers, with Born to Break getting things underway nicely. A hooky guitar lead opens the song up, albeit in a slow-burning manner, before a crunchy riff kicks in - and the aforementioned melody speeds up somewhat to create the first melodic hard rock hook of the album. The refrain later forms the basis of the song's chorus, but choppy, riff-led instrumental breaks and stripped back verses ground the song in a more modern sound - with the bass rumbling away behind Grönwall's bluesy verse vocals, before he adopts more of a explosive approach for the anthemic chorus. Grönwall has always been a powerful vocalist, and there is nothing about his performance on this album that is much of a surprise. His smooth, but powerful, voice always cuts through the mix - and there is just enough grit when required to add an edge. The choruses here have a bit of grit to them, especially thanks to some long-held screams, and the song sets the tone for nicely for what is to come. The album's title track follows, and a similar overall vibe continues throughout - although there is a bit more of a punky hard rock sound on display here. Big guitar leads are essentially absent here, with some percussive drumming and kinetic riffing dominating early on - whilst Grönwall's verse delivery moves back and forth between a more downbeat, semi-spoken approach and something much more powerful. There are certainly shades of the no-nonsense approach of Skid Row here thanks to the punky undercurrent - but the song is not as heavy as Skid Row overall, with a smoother bass approach and less abrasive guitar tones. The song still rocks pretty hard, though, and the fast-paced chorus really sticks in the head after a couple of listens - whilst a short, sharp guitar solo is also welcome. Praying for a Miracle is likely the song here closest in style to Grönwall's era of H.E.A.T. Tee's keyboards are much less prominent than they would otherwise be, and the guitars feel a bit more bluesy, but there is a smoother and much more anthemic feel throughout - with less hard rock grit. The mid-paced track has a strong groove throughout thanks to a deliberate and hypnotic bluesy riff, whilst some bass counter-melodies really make the verses pop. Grönwall sings in a smoother manner during these verses, too, before pushing himself during the album's best chorus - which really recalls H.E.A.T's overall style. There is a strong 1980s hard rock/AOR vibe throughout the soaring vocal hooks here - and it is impossible not to be drawn in to what is a real overall highlight. All that is missing is a big guitar solo, but this is not really an album that goes in for soloing all that much - which is not that surprising given that it is a singer's solo album. There are some fiery guitar leads under Grönwall's vocals at times, though, but it would have been great had these been capitalised on with a big guitar solo.

Who's the Winner slows things down, and goes for a grander overall sound. There are certainly shades of Queen throughout this track without ever sounding like a pastiche - with dramatic strings adding some depth behind Tee's piano playing early on. The verses here are largely piano-based, with Grönwall singing in a playful and dramatic manner over the top of the piano - although later verses are more band-orientated with the rhythm section also doing their bit and some choice guitar leads. The chorus really reminds me of late 1970s Queen and there is something of that band's drama throughout thanks to the ever-present strings and the depth of the arrangement - as well as Grönwall's excellent and dynamic vocal performance which certainly channels the late Freddie Mercury at times. Whilst not exactly a ballad, Who's the Winner slowed the pace down - so Lost for Life injects some pace back into the album, and returns to a rawer hard rock sound. There are similarities here that can be drawn to the album's title track, especially early on, but there is also a bit of the previous grandness retained. The opening riffs and the verses feel very grounded, with the bass again doing a lot of the heavy lifting whilst simple, scrappy riffs forming a powerful backing for Grönwall's snaking, sultry vocals. Unlike the title track, though, which continued this harder-hitting energy throughout its punky chorus, this song builds to a much more powerful chorus - which makes use of bigger keyboard arrangements, a more mid-paced and expansive sound, and some more theatrical vocals from Grönwall. It is also the first of two songs here to feature Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse; W.E.T.; Nordic Union) on guitars. He did not co-write this song, but his influence is likely felt during the chorus as a result. Twisted Lullaby picks up the heaviness somewhat, with the song being a pretty lumbering hard rocker that, at times, reminds me of latter day Whitesnake. The main riff is not a million miles away from the amped-up bluesy style that David Coverdale was operating in during the couple of decades prior to his retirement - with groovy verses with hard-hitting drumming coaxing a powerful vocal from Grönwall. The chorus is not very Whitesnake-esque, though, with the hypnotic melodies and the overall approach another moment that harks back to H.E.A.T somewhat. It is not as soaring nor as AOR-coded, but there is a smoothness and sing-song nature to Grönwall's chorus vocal delivery. This song does benefit from quite a big guitar solo, too, with some shredded melodies giving things a bit of a kick later on. Save Me also features Mårtensson, but this time he also co-wrote the song - as well as mixed it. Anyone expecting high-octane AOR in the vein of Eclipse, though, will be largely disappointed - as this is mostly a song that sticks within the album's core sound. The opening main riff is actually one of the toughest on the album, Mårtensson is known for his love of metal after all, and this is a pretty lumbering and hard-hitting mid-paced rocker. There is more of a keyboard presence, though, but Tee largely utilises organ sounds throughout - with the chorus in particular benefitting from the heft and organic roar of the instrument. The chorus is hooky, though, as would be expected with anything featuring Grönwall and Mårtensson - whilst the latter also delivers a strong guitar solo.

Hell & Back gets back to the core team behind much of the album, with the song opening with some juddering riffing - before another bass-heavy verse takes over. The riffing here is pretty slab-like, with chunky power chords moving back and forth as the song moves forward - whilst the pulsing bass playing of Thomander and some chiming clean guitar chords form the main character of the song. The main riff resurfaces for the chorus, which is a bit faster overall and full of hard rock power, whilst the strings from earlier in the album return. Unlike during Who's the Winner, the strings here are utilised in a more organic manner - adding depth where needed whilst also creating a Kashmir-esque instrumental break late on. The album's biggest guitar solo is likely included here, too, and this is a song that seems to cut loose a little more arrangement-wise - given the string break and the lengthy and high-octane guitar solo. The classic Grönwall hooks are still there, though, and his powerful vocals and big melodies still bring everything together. How High features another former H.E.A.T colleague in guitarist Dave Dalone. Whilst he did not co-write the song, from the moment the snaking and staccato riff kicked in I was reminded of H.E.A.T's bluesier, more guitar-heavy side - so it was no surprise to see that Dalone had contributed to the song. Tee's keyboards are also quite a bit more prominent here, especially during the chorus, so this, along with Praying for a Miracle, is the album's representation of the H.E.A.T era of Grönwall's career - especially the tougher end of H.E.A.T's sound. The foot-stomping chorus is another of the album's best in my opinion - with some choral and shout-along vocals to give it a big sound, whilst Grönwall's big character really shines through here. I can really see him strutting around the stage belting it out - and it is another overall highlight in my opinion. The album then comes to a close with Written in the Scars - the only true ballad here. Who's the Winner slowed the pace, but it never felt like a true ballad - but Written in the Scars does, and Grönwall delivers a strong, emotional performance throughout. The guitars throughout are courtesy of René Shades (Pretty Maids), although he largely sticks to acoustic guitars with the occasional bluesy lead, whilst keyboards and the returning strings form the basis of the song. Ending an album with a ballad can be a bit controversial. Sometimes it can really halt the flow of an album at the last hurdle, but I think the slower closing approach really works well here. Given that much of the album is pretty hard-hitting, this emotive and largely slow-burning track acts as a fitting curtain call - and it helps that Grönwall really delivers vocally, from heartfelt quiet moments to big powerful ones as the song moves towards its orchestral climax. The final chorus really hits home for me - and it soars above the rest of the album nicely, and the lyrics feel quite apt given all that Grönwall has gone through health-wise in recent years. I suppose a proper solo career from Grönwall was inevitable after his times with both H.E.A.T and Skid Row, and Bad Bones feels like a true launch of a solo career from one of the best younger rock singers on the scene currently. It may not be hugely different from his past work, and he may have kept things familiar in terms of his collaborators, but the result is a hard-hitting and fairly modern-sounding melodic hard rock album that sits apart from his previous bands just enough to allow it to stand on its own. I am sure that this will not be the last we hear from Grönwall - and it will be interesting to see how his solo career pans out from here.

The album was released on 22nd May 2026 via Playground Music. Below is Grönwall's promotional video for Bad Bones.