For a man who accepted a supporting role next to Ritchie Blackmore to provide lead vocals for the legendary guitarist’s revamped version of Rainbow, Chilean powerhouse Ronnie Romero naming his latest album Backbone could not be more apt.
Ronnie Romero – Backbone
Release Date: 24 October 2025
Words: Brian Boyle
Let’s face it, if Romero sang the TV listings from the Radio Times, the man would still get your king leers pricked with excitement. And there is plenty to get enthused about when this album takes off in lavish style with the heavily Dio-esque title track, a thunderous Heavy Metal stomp that triumphantly rolls back the years.
Not that we should be surprised, but the clarity in Romero’s voice on this album is extraordinary. The gargantuan Bring The Rock and the eye-popping power ballad Lost In Time show off his gold label pipes to their gleaming best.
As you bite deeper into the album’s core, the reasoning behind the now neo-medieval folk rocker Blackmore picking Romero for Rainbow is glaringly obvious.
Like a commander on the high seas, Romero navigates his way through everything with assured authority and power. A track like Lonely World could have graced any Rainbow album, especially those featuring the great Ronnie James Dio, and his delivery is that of a man thoroughly forthright in spearheading his own mission.
But while the genre and vocal comparisons are right there in your face, those who have followed his path since his Lords Of Black days will know Romero is the furthest thing from a tribute act.
His good friend and acclaimed hit-maker Russ Ballard lends his expertise on the all guns blazing Hideaway (Run). Ballard’s input is key, and the lingering solo from ex-Europe guitarist Kee Marcello is textbook. But it is the man at the mic who provides the crucial ammunition and gives it an extra layer of likeability.
“Before I started writing the songs,” Ronnie says, “I had this idea to make a song together, to link somehow the Rainbow connection we have. Russ immediately said yes and sent a cool idea, which ended up being the song Hideaway. From there, it was so easy to get inspired for the rest of the songs.”
More name-dropping comes in the form of the ridiculously talented Roy Z. The man who gave another shot at life to Bruce Dickinson’s solo career, chips in with a co-write on Eternally, and helps take this album up several levels. If all you get out of this tune is the chorus, then that’s all you need. It is just pure melodious magic. “It’s so easy to write music,” Ronnie says, “when you are surrounded by such great people.”
Low points are minimal, if non-existent, as this batch of tunes bears all the hallmarks of Romero making an all-out statement of intent.
But it’s only fair to note the importance of his guitarist, Jose Rubio, whose mixing and mastering has taken the traditional classic rock sound, and given it a high-end renovation. Running Over, one of the album’s undoubted highlights, really reaps the rewards of his wizardry, and if the term ‘smash hit’ still existed in the hard rock world, then this has it written all over it.
If the future of rock was under threat from an advancing army of sterile music detractors, then I would want the Backbone of Ronnie Romero by my side, on the frontline, and belting out the battle call.
Ronnie Romero releases Backbone on 24 October 2025 via Frontiers Music s.r.l.. Pre-orders are available from ffm.to/rr_backbone.
