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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
All
of the nuance and balance on this record really make it an experience that
never bogs the listener down. It is for these reasons, that Dead Quiet’s “Grand Rites” is one of the best
Canadian Metal records of the year.
“Grand Rites” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). Moon Curser
2). Blood Lovers
3). Corpse Revival
4). Disgraced
5). Fucking Oath
6). Dear Demon
7). Old Hopeless
8). Spiritual Abuse
9). Grand Rites
The Review:
Dead Quiet’s second full length
“Grand Rites” sees the band fully
forming their blend of classic rock and stoner metal. What was merely a nod on
their self titled release is now fully integrated on “Grand Rites”. For
band leader Kevin Keegan, this is his best album to date. Following his progression
from the early riff-sandwich that was Barn
Burnerall the way to the more sophisticated Dead Quiet, it has been
great to see the progression in his voice. His voice has gone from being in the
background on previous releases, to being the main focal point of this album.
The vocal range and variety exhibited by Kevin Keegan on “Grand Rites” has come a long way since “Bangers”.
Most
notably on “Grand Rites”, Dead Quiethas
incorporated keyboards into their sound. The addition of former 3 Inches of Bloodguitarist
Justin Hagberg, the 70’s influence is now fully embraced by the band. This is
apparent on the albums early tracks like the Deep Purple infused “Moon
Cruiser” to the white room re-imagining of “Blood Lovers”. Elements of Creedence
Clearwater Revivalbecome apparent on “Corpse Revival” which morphs into an onslaught of Slayeroriented thrash
riffs.
Perhaps
what makes this album so enjoyable is its tasteful use of every element it
brings to the table. The amount of acoustic instruments featured on tracks like
“Dear Demon”, and “Ritual Abuse”, for example, really
make its heavy elements shine through. All of the nuance and balance on this
record really make it an experience that never bogs the listener down. It is
for these reasons, that Dead
Quiet’s“Grand Rites”
is one of the best Canadian Metal records of the year.
If this is to be the last album, then the band have added to their legacy, kept their powder dry once again and gone out all guns blazing. If it isn't, well the next one will be along in a couple of years and will no doubt give your ears a good hiding when it does. Still the best rock and roll band in the world, and as the man says, the last one you can trust until the end.
‘Bad Magic’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). “Victory or Die” 2). “Thunder & Lightning” 3). “Fire Storm Hotel” 4). “Shoot Out All of Your Lights” 5). “The Devil” 6). “Electricity” 7). “Evil Eye” 8). “Teach Them How to Bleed” 9). “Till the End” 10). “Tell Me Who to Kill” 11). “Choking on Your Screams” 12). “When the Sky Comes Looking for You” 13). “Sympathy for the Devil”
Motorhead is:
Lemmy Kilmister | Bass. Vocals
Phil Campbell | guitars
Mikkey Dee | Drums
The Review:
Motorhead have now been around for forty years. Incredible, but there it is. I can't think of a more consistent band. An album every couple of years or so and each one worthy of your cash and time. In Lemmy, Motorhead have the rocker we would like to be if we were a lot less like ourselves. More so than personality, image or anything else, there is the music to focus on, though. Dare I say it; there are few bigger fans of Motorhead than me. They ARE rock 'n' roll and they have written and performed some of the most visceral and exciting music ever. If you don't get it, then I feel sorry for you. Your loss.
Having been listening avidly since buying the ‘No Remorse’compilation in 1992 I have bought a lot of Motorhead records when they were first out. I have looked forward to buying the next one, time after time. With Lemmy now well into pensionable age, the likelihood of another one to look forward to gets slimmer each time another one gets released. Yet, here comes ‘Bad Magic’, swaggering, brash, fast and loud. Just like all the other Motorhead albums... as if they were really all the same. The thing with the best bands is that they have a certain sound; Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Slayer, Bolt Thrower...even the Stones. They all sound just like themselves- the quality of the material may vary, but in essence they remain identifiable. Naturally, there will always be those who revile such bands (“it all sounds the same”.. “It’s just another Iron Maiden album” etc. and ad infinitum) but there will be those who love them for it and expect what they are expecting.
‘Bad Magic’ delivers on every level. “Victory or Die” opens things with a bitter statement of intent- defiance in the face of impending destruction, joie de vivre despite the party coming to an end. “Thunder and Lightning” is everything that Motorhead are best at- thunderously loud and, yes, lightning fast with celebratory devil may care lyrics. “Firestorm Hotel” is one of those mid paced rollicking numbers that latter day Motorhead excel at (from 1916 onwards).
The drums of Mikkey Dee are absolutely thunderous as per- excellent intro on “Shoot Out All of Your Lights” with a great double bass drum sound and use of rudiments on the ride (this is how you play drums, kids- learn the basics, get fast at them and just lay the beat down. Hard.) Of course, not every track is a stone cold killer (“The Devil”)- but the ‘Aftershock’ album wasn't perfect and then again, neither was the ‘Ace of Spades’ album either. There are always tracks that are not as good as the stand-outs, but the vibe is always there with Motorhead and the overall sound wins. “Electricty” has some excellent lyrics and a well worn riff from Phil Campbell (now with the band for 31 years). “Evil Eye” is a kind of “different” Motorhead track- sombre and dark with a strong percussive refrain- that crops up occasionally in different forms on afew of their records.
“Teach Them How To Bleed” is as good as the title suggests it might be- all expected Motorhead-isms operating in the red.‘Till The End’ is the album's sole downbeat number (most of their best albums have at least one!) It is as close to a ballad as the band really get here. “Tell Me Who To Kill” turns up the volume and ups the tempo again. Great title, great riff and a great track. “Choking On Your Screams” features a malevolent vocal and a kind of discordant half stepping riff that wouldn't be out of place on the excellent ‘Bastards’ album.
“When The Sky Coming Looking For You” is rhythmically similar to “Dr Rock” from the (also excellent) ‘Orgasmtron’ record and features rather wistful lyrics, which are also pretty caustic. That only leaves the cover of “Sympathy For The Devil”- a fine song and a fine cover. It is done well here; faithful at first and revved up later. It is a fitting way to end the album. I only hope that this is not the last Motorhead album I get to hear anew. Having bought the vinyl at the start of the week, I got the joy of dropping the needle onto it for the first time, new musical territory to explore, new songs to become familiar with and all wrapped up in the cloak of reliability that the band has worn for forty years.
If this is to be the last album, then the band have added to their legacy, kept their powder dry once again and gone out all guns blazing. If it isn't, well the next one will be along in a couple of years and will no doubt give your ears a good hiding when it does. Still the only band I have a tattoo of, still the best rock and roll band in the world, and as the man says, the last one you can trust until the end.
As an added bonus, here is my list of Motorhead albums from best to worst.And yes, ‘Bastards’ is the best one. Or is that just because it was the first one I bought brand new? For what it's worth, ‘Bad Magic’, at an early guess, sits somewhere below ‘1916’, but somewhere above ‘Aftershock’. Please note, all the albums on this list are good, but some are not as good as others.
1.Bastards
2.Overkill
3.Ace of Spades
4.Another Perfect Day
5.Orgasmatron
6.Bomber
7.1916
8.Inferno
9.Iron Fist
10.The World is Yours
11.We Are Motorhead
12.Sacrifice
13.Motorizer
14.Aftershock
15.Overnight Sensation
16.Kiss of Death
17.Rock and Roll
18.Motorhead
19.March or Die
20.Snake Bite Love
21.Hammered
‘Bad Magic’ is available everywhere now
FFO: Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, AC/DC
1.
Life’s A Bitch
2. Lookin´ Down The Barrel
3. Electric Sunshine
4. Fuel Injected
5. Black Dog
6. Promised Land
7. Reign Supreme
8. Sick (Of Being Sick)
9. Hammered Again
10. High as a Kite
11. Alcohol (Bonus Track)
Mammoth Mammoth is
Ben
Couzens | Guitars
Mikey Tucker | Vocals
Frank Trobbiani | Drums
Pete Bell | Bass
Review
Honesty,
in a position such as this, is everything. When reviewing an album we writers are
tasked with listening to the music in question impartially, describing it
colourfully and giving you a true-to-life flavour of what it sounds like along
with our opinions of the release – and those opinions must be well balanced.
And so, if you asked me for my opinion on Mammoth Mammoth’s fourth record,
‘Hammered Again,’ after only my first spin, my honest opinion would be one of
great disappointment, of an expectation that fell flat and that my initial
excitement fizzling out. The Australian band is one I am greatly fond of. Their
brand of rock n’ roll is bullshit proof and as rough as a hangover after a
night out on the town with the Toxic Twins. Their sound was once aptly
described as “AC/DC taking mushroom with Motörhead,” and
it’s a sound that, for me, always hits the spot. Their previous album
especially, the raucous ‘Hell’s Likely,’ was astoundingly good fun. But after
my first listen of ‘Hammered Again’ I was very let down. In fact, I didn’t even
make it through the entire album, it just seemed flat, lacking in that skull
bashing revelry and hell-bent magic in which their previous records had in
droves. But ask me now, after god knows how many spins at ASBO-invitingly loud
volumes and I’ll tell you that this album is the dog’s bollocks.
Sure,
there is little in the way of ingenuity in Mammoth Mammoth’s sound, but they
take the already emphatic rock n’ roll formula and pour in added dynamite,
ripping apart your speakers so brilliantly in the process. There are countless
bands doing what these guys are in resurrecting the sounds of rock’s supposed
glory days, and so it takes a special band to stand out from the crowd. On
‘Hammered Again,’ Mammoth Mammoth do just that, unleashing riffs with menace,
even flirting with sludge metal on the belligerent ‘Promised Land’ which is a
brutal sucker punch of a song. Its leading riff is a pile driver of down tuned,
unapologetic grunting, moulded to a template more in keeping with rock’s blues
based foundations. That infusion is devastating and is a highlight in a record
packed to the rafters with hellishly fun moments to raise a smile to even the
most miserable of bastards.
The
thing is with these Melbournites is that they manage to cram their hard rock,
glam, doom, stoner, psychedelic, blues and sludge influences onto one bite size
palette – and such variety is never overbearing, it just makes sense. From the
rollicking opener of ‘Life’s A Bitch,’ with its poignant and light hearted
refrain of “life’s a bitch and then you die,” to the final track’s doom and
blues laden psychedelic forage into the edifices of your twisted brain, the
album is a complete and utter triumph.
‘Lookin’
Down The Barrel’ digs up the corpse of Rocks era Aerosmith before sticking a
whisky in one hand and a spliff in the other. It’s part rambunctious rock n’
roll, part stoner friendly, smoke shrouded stonerism with a chorus which
encapsulates the band’s signature rollick.
‘Electric
Sunshine’ meanwhile capes itself in a slower, more grinding tempo with
contagious lyrics and ‘Fuel Injected’ is an adrenaline packed punk rock number
that conjures up images of driving down a barren desert road, with this
blasting at full volume. The gears are sifted through yet again with ‘Black
Dog’ which, with its foot pressed firmly on the accelerator is absolutely top
drawer.
For
sludgier, guitars-so-hairy-they-should-have-their-own-facial-hair moments,
‘Promised Land’ is a guttural crowd pleaser. Led by a riff thicker than every
single guest to have ever appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show, it’s innately blues
laden to the core, nailed with an uplifting chorus, is what really gets the
blood pumping. By the time ‘Reign Supreme’s’ trebly, Motörhead circa Iron Fist
bass riff makes a dart for your ear drums, I’m left with a great big grin
slapped across my face.
I
can’t really recall the moment this album clicked with me – the moment, like a
bully emptying your pockets, flipped me upside down and shook me senseless –
but I’m so glad it happened. As someone who has followed this band for a while,
I really wanted to dig this album. And yes, it took longer to convince me than
I’d hoped, but my patience has been rewarded with a definite go to album for
some time. Top work lads.
Memest love rock n’ roll, it satisfies their soul, and that’s the way it’s gotta be, so don’t get mad. This review can pretty much start and end here but I’ll continue for those who don’t get the reference. Memest is a band that hearkens back to the rougher days of the 80's, when Motorhead was on all the time and each band was trying to be louder than the next. So yeah, Memest may sound a little dated and won’t be telling you anything you don’t already know, but that’s not going to stop them.
“Bastards and Liars,” can be split up into two types of songs; slow ones and fast ones. This brand of 80’s punk-metal was never so difficult, so there’s no sense in turning it into rocket science now. The slower cuts, as you’d probably expect, are driven by sludgy guitars and sparse drumming. Matheu belts his way through the choruses, his delivery bringing with it a sense of drama, drawing influence from the likes of Ben Ward. The real attention grabbers are in the form of the punk-metal ass-kickers. On songs like the title track and “The Man Who Never Cries,” Memest are shamelessly getting high on Motorhead and are having a great time doing it. Besides, what’s not to like about that kick-snare-hi-hat pogo while the band shouts that “poor people get drunk” or, though I’m pretty sure it’s not what he’s really singing, “I’ll shit on your O-face” in “We Love Rats.”
“Bastards and Liars” may not be an album that will make year end lists but I’m pretty sure that’s not what the band is going for. Instead, the album is a collection of solid songs written by a bunch of beer guzzlers without any pretense. The faster songs make for good shots of adrenaline and the slower songs that stand across from them aren't bad, either. Memest are able to effortlessly bring the rock and that’s because they love it, it satisfies their soul, that’s the way it’s gotta be, so don’t get mad.
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