ALBUM REVIEW: Against The Grain - "Cheated Death"

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/02/2018

Label: Ripple Music 

For fans of speedrock, "Cheated Death" is a record to get a hold of. It flows from start to finish and makes no issue of being entirely indebted to their peers. The tunes speak for themselves, really, and its Against the Grain's sharp sense of melody and keen songwriting prowess that gives this band that je ne sai qoui

“Cheated Death” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Cheated Death
02. Full Of Smoke
03. Sacrifice
04. No Sleep
05. Last Chance
06. Devils And Angels
07. High Heeled Woman
08. Rolling Stone
09. Enoughs Not Enough
10. Going Down Fast
11. Jaded And Faded
12. Into The Light

The Review:

Ok, I've done the math for you. The press release laid so much emphasis on Against The Grain's tenure as a live band, I had to do the math. The answer? Since Against The Grain got started in 2009, the band has averaged one show every 3 and a half days. That's pretty impressive. And if you're curious what this equation has to do with Against The Grain's new album, "Cheated Death," well, let me explain.

Coming out of the Motor City, Against The Grain plays motor rock. That's kind of a no-brainer. Speed rock, whatever you want to call it. It's what these boys from Michigan do. This music calls upon those who play it, to play it fast, hard and most of all tight. Imagine a sloppy speedrock band. It just doesn't work. One show every 3 and a half days has made this band from Michigan become a unit, and the results are finger-licking good.

Against The Grain lay their claim to the genre from the offset. Opener and title track shows exactly how tight they are, and from that point on, the band never lets up. They just keep on going. From the throaty "Rolling Stone" to the punkish highlight of "Jaded and Faded," Against The Grain lives up to their song titles, album title and artwork. They're raw, they're tough and they're going to do this until they die.

So yes, Against The Grain is one tight band. All those days out on the road can be heard on these recordings. Whether its the double guitar soloing in "Last Chance" that reminds me of Thin Lizzy or the vocal harmonies in "Going Down Fast" that brings up KISS at their least annoying, Against The Grain have really stepped up their game here.

For fans of speedrock, "Cheating Death" is a record to get a hold of. It flows from start to finish and makes no issue of being entirely indebted to their peers. The tunes speak for themselves, really, and its Against The Grain's sharp sense of melody and keen songwriting prowess that gives this band that je ne sai qoui

“Cheated Death” is available here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp