By David O’Neill
Ronnie Romero’s ‘Backbone’ marks a turning point in his solo discography, standing apart from his previous efforts in both intent and execution.
Romero’s previous solo releases, ‘Raised On Radio’ (2022) and ‘Raised On Heavy Radio’ (2023), consisted exclusively of cover material. These records demonstrated his extensive vocal capabilities through reinterpretations of works by esteemed rock and metal artists including Deep Purple and Judas Priest.
While these albums reflected Romero’s respect for the originals, they provided limited opportunity for personal artistic expression or innovation, and even his most accomplished performances did not surpass the source material.
In contrast, ‘Backbone’ marks a significant transition towards original songwriting and artistic direction, with Romero credited as co-writer on every track and exercising full creative oversight, supported by his band and distinguished collaborators. The outcome is a collection that, while occasionally adhering to established conventions, demonstrates Romero’s development of a distinctive hard rock persona, moving beyond previous tributes to the work of others.
While previous solo albums have sometimes been regarded as well-crafted tributes, ‘Backbone’ presents a more personal and dynamic collection. Tracks such as ‘Eternally’ and the title track are distinguished by Romero’s characteristic melodic strength and reveal increased compositional sophistication, whilst ‘Lost in Time’ has an obvious Dio influence in its vocal style (albeit not a bad thing!).
Although improvements in instrumentation and production are noticeable, Romero’s lyrics and arrangements at times revert to familiar classic rock motifs—a limitation that was less prominent, though also less significant, when his repertoire consisted of established classics.
‘Backbone’ is broadly a major step forward: it’s Romero’s boldest solo statement and, more importantly, his most original, even if it sometimes plays things a bit safe. Fans longing for Romero’s own creative voice over his well-honed tribute skills will find this release his most rewarding yet, even if true innovation still remains just out of reach.
- ‘Backbone‘ will be released on Friday 24 October.
- Ronnie Romero has just kicked off a European tour with Gus G:
