BEST OF THE REST
Other new releases out this month.
Dictator Ship
Your Favourites THE SIGN
An astounding live-in-studio debut from a raw, twin-guitar-fronted quartet of Swedes, all of whom double on vocals, channeling the MC5’s explosive, action-rock remodel of 60s soul. Essential. 9/10
The Alligator Wine
Demons Of The Mind CENTURY MEDIA
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-influenced German duo offer rock with no guitars. Sceptical? Well, it’s far better than it sounds: huge drums, cavernous psych-gothic keyboards, overwrought vocal immensity. 7/10 Awolnation
Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders BETTER NOISE Aaron Bruno’s fourth album as Awolnation is an inspired amalgam of weighty alt.rock dynamics, ear-worming modern pop devices, progressive hardcore-punk-via-hip-hop sensibilities and an infectious lust for life. 7/10
Robert Jon & The Wreck
Last Light On The Highway
A classy re-bore of well-trodden southern rock tropes by an Orange County quintet with impeccably realised contemporary commerciality. Born of Allmans and Skynyrd, but box-fresh for 2020. 8/10
Ryder’s Creed
Lost Souls OFF YER ROCKA
Hobbled by route-one modern rock production (treated vocals, drums distractingly prominent), this competent, if box-tickingly generic, Midlands NWOCR quartet deliver what’s required, but not enough to dazzle. 6/10 The Wild!
Still Believe In Rock ‘N’ Roll EONE Third blurt from a four-man Canadian combination of all that’s good about AC/DC, Michael Monroe, Buckcherry and Airbourne. Full-tilt riff-rock mayhem, high-energy assaults and pure joy. 8/10
Fake Names
Fake Names EPITAPH
Selling themselves as a punk supergroup probably isn’t doing these ex-members of Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Refused etc any favours. They’re long on power-pop ingenuity, but short on generic thrash. 7/10
These Wicked Rivers
Eden ROCK PEOPLE
Blues-infused, groove-propelled beard rock. Nothing’s reinvented here, no boundaries broken, but as a fine-tune of its chosen niche, Eden has much to recommend its Derby-born Clutch-alike swagger. 8/10
Vandenberg
2020 MASCOT
Blackmore-esque Dutch guitarist Adrian Vandenberg brings in former Dio-alike Rainbow vocalist Ronnie Romero to record a fourth album that sounds exactly as you’d expect. 2020? 1976, more like. 7/10
Hexvessel
Kindred SVART
Bewitching blues-laced, folk-prog complexity informed by the cerebrally caustic highlights of classic King Crimson. Hexvessel veer confidently, if schizophrenically, between tenderness and tumult. 7/10 Cuddly Toyz
Tracy: The Beginning JUNGLE Led by ex-Toys drummer Paddy Phield, Cuddly Toyz are an all-Japanese version of the late-70s glam-punk maestros. Vocalist Momo reinterprets vintage material in his native language but is no match for the late Sean Purcell. 3/10 1000mods
Youth Of Dissent OUGA BOUGA Psych-atuned, commercially astute Greek stoner rock titans casually overcome the handicap of a curiously inappropriate name by passing timeless Sabs dynamics through a timely Foos filter. 7/10