Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal returns with a new album featuring Brian May, Steve Vai, and others.
The guitarist’s new record is called ‘Bumblefoot …Returns!,’ and comes out on January 24. The first single, ‘Simon In Space,’ is now available to stream, with a video made by Bumblefoot and animator Radek Grabinski.
“From an early age, my passions were guitar and astrophysics, cosmology – the song ‘Simon in Space’ merges the two,” wrote Bumblefoot in a statement. “Simon is my cat haha, that’s him featured in the artwork.”
Besides May and Vai, ‘Bumblefoot …Returns!’ also includes collaborations with Guthrie Govan, Derek Sherinian, and Jerry Gaskill. “It’s been 30 years since releasing the debut ‘Adventures of Bumblefoot’ on Shrapnel Records, and I haven’t done a fully instrumental album since,” the rocker said of the album.
He added, “Writing during the pandemic, these songs became a soundtrack to my life – from heavy fretless growls to bluesy tributes to legends like Lonnie Johnson. It’s a reflection of the moments that shaped me.”
Fans generally seemed to like the first single from the upcoming album. “There are no words to describe how I am feeling right now after hearing this …. From my teenage years, I’ve been waiting for something extraordinary to happen in the world of music, and it has always been Bumbefoot that delivered the goods!” a fan wrote on YouTube.
They continued, “Unique, outstanding, revolutionary in terms of composition: Ron is more than a guitar player, he is one of the few musical composers that can come up with things that have been unheard before…”
Another one shared, “This is what I’ve needed. Can’t wait for the album Ron.” “A masterpiece both sonically and visually. What a great ride!” one other person said. Some other fan noted, “For over an 8-minute track it got over way too soon! Amazing Ron! Genius!”
The album is available for pre-order now on vinyl, CD, and cassette, with exclusive merch bundles at bumblefoot.com.
