Tuesday 6 May 2014

The Admiral Sir Cloudseley Shovell - Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em - Review

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em

Album TypeAlbum
Date Released: April 15th 2014
Label: Rise Above Records

Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em - track listing:

1) Do It Now
2) 2 Tonne Fuckboot
3) Captain Merryweather
4) Running from Home
5) Happiness Begins
6) Shaker Your Head
7) Don't Hear It... Fear It!
8) Bulletproof
9) The Thicker the Better
10) Late Night Mornings

The Band Members

Louis Comfort-Wiggett - Bass
Bill Darlington - Drums
Johnny Gorilla - Vocals, Guitars

Review:

The Admiral Sir Cloudseley Shovell are a Hard Rock band plain and simple. This a band born to entertain the heck out of you with their in-your-face Hard Rock riffs. They released a stunning debut album - Don't Hear It... Fear It! - back in 2012 which won praise from fans and critics alike.

Well two years later the band are back with – Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em. I interviewed the guys a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was time for me to review it. This is an album built on good old fashioned hard rock licks and killer lyrics that will have you smiling from beginning to end. The Garage Rock vibe from the first album is still intact but this album sees the band more comfortable with their surroundings.

The band aren’t trying to solve the world’s problems with their music. They just want to entertain people with a collection of superbly written tunes that bring back memories from legendary bands of the 60s and 70s. First track – Do It Now – is a hard rocking stomper to get you in the mood. It’s a classic hard rock based track that packs a lot of groove within it’s action packed running time.

Up next is the tough as nails 2nd track – 2 Tonne Fuckboot – which despite it’s uncompromising name is another slice of infectious licks and lyrics you can see yourself singing along to with your pals in your local boozer. A stomping rock-bar jukebox anthem if I ever heard one.

It’s on the 3rd track where the rocking Admiral’s go all psychedelic with us on the album’s standout track – Captain Merryweather. 8 minutes of finely intricate riffs with a delicious 70's based psych freak out edge. It shows the band know how to go into prog-rock territory if the mood calls for it. This song has a lot of different elements to it that make it one of the finest tracks that the band have written so far.

It’s back to normal business with the 4th track – Running From Home – which matches the atmosphere of the first two tracks though it has a more Punk Rock which only adds more thrills, spills and excitement to the overall mood of the album. The vocals of Johnny and Louis give this track added layers of true hard rock grit. And that mood goes into overdrive on the fast paced, Happiness Begins, which sees the band in a playful romantic mood with more sublime riffs to drown your soul or choice of drinks to.

The album carries on this style of expertly written tunes that plays out like a greatest hits set rather than a new album. Sir Admiral Cloudseley Shovell prove once again why they are highly thought of within the UK Hard Rock Scene. They just want to have fun and rock out. There aren’t a lot of bands making these type of albums with the sole intention of kicking up a storm and moving onto the next track without a care in the world.

If Sir Admiral Cloudseley Shovell were around in the 70's then they would be megastars of the Hard Rock scene as this album captures the mood and atmosphere of Hard Rock’s most celebrated period. Though Sir Admiral Cloudseley Shovell is bringing their style of music kicking and screaming into the 21st century. And on this form I cannot see anybody stopping them.

Check Em Before You Wreck Em is a must have album. Get buying now. You won’t be sorry.

Thanks To Rise Above Records for sending us a promo to review. The album is available to buy from all good stockists now.

Check The Band From Links below.


Written by Steve Howe