Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is back, and the title of his new solo album reflects this sentiment. Out on January 24, 2025, Bumblefoot…Returns! marks his first solo since 2015’s Little Brother Is Watching.
No slouch, Bumblefoot has been extremely busy in the decade since that time. To recap, he formed Sons of Apollo with Drummer Mike Portnoy, Bassist Billy Sheehan, Keyboardist Derek Sherinian, and Vocalist Jeff Scott Soto in 2017. He also was a big part of Art of Anarchy’s return in 2024 with the album Let There Be Anarchy, and let us not forget his work with Whom Gods Destroy for the 2024 debut Insanium.
Just the tip of the iceberg in Bumblefoot’s 30-year career; he is not just a guitarist but also a composer, producer, and educator. Moreover, he has performed with notable acts, including Guns N’ Roses and Asia, but he has also released eight solo studio albums. All of this in mind, Bumblefoot… Returns! marks only the second time he has released a completely instrumental album. Album number nine contains a labyrinthine of instrumental mastery that feels perfectly paced and fits together like a 14-piece musical puzzle.
The record starts with “Simon in Space,” a high-paced, psychopathic track with soaring guitar soloing throughout. Named after Ron’s cat, Simon, this song stands out. It is also worth noting that Simon appears in the Bumblefoot…Returns! art, piloting the Guitar Spacecraft through the void.
What follows is a diverse and compelling adventure through various genres and musical styles expertly woven together. “Planetary Lockdown” is a peasant jaunt highlighted by a bouncy rhythm, leading to” Moonshine Hootenanny,” a straight Metal hoedown. Chopin Waltz Op64 No2 is epic in scope, offering a totally modern reimagining of the 1847 Piano Waltz composed by Frédéric Chopin.
Moving on, Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai appears on “Montruoso.” This is while “Cintaku” is an uplifting and triumphant-sounding track before Queen’s legendary Guitarist Brian May is featured on the bluesy delight “Once in Forever.”
Then you have the all too short Spanish flamenco interlude “Andalusia,” “Anveshana” (features Guthrie Govan of The Aristocrats laying down blistering guitar work throughout), and “Funeral March” which combines Ron’s guitar with the Violin styling of Ben Karas in a hauntingly beautiful track. Lastly Bumblefoot…Returns finishes strong with “Griggtown Crossing,” “The Thread,” and “Liftoff.”
Overall, it is a great listening experience from an artist who derived his name from a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction commonly found on the feet of birds, rodents, and rabbits. Bumblefoot…Returns! is evidence of Bumblefoot’s ongoing evolution as an artist who crosses-contaminates and births new genres of expression through his guitar. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this album a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
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