This is a fun, we-loved-every-minute-making-it kind of album.
It's the product of a recently resurrected bluesrock power trio, initially planned some years ago by Mat
Sinner (b/v), Armin (Rage) Sabol (g/v) and Martin (Leaves Eyes) Schmidt (d).
There's only so much manoeuvring space within heavy metal's musical strictures, especially when you stick to the old school, Gary Moore, Frank Marino, Rick Derringer stuff.
Goddess Shiva have no problem with this. They clearly enjoy painting from a restricted sonic palette. They utilise every major colour in tight riffy swathes across thumping metal songs like '
Walking On Thorns' and '
This Ain't Love', creating rock'n'roll music of considerable artistic merit. Simple is best.
Certainly, plainer fare like the bluesy '
Barefoot And Naked' doesn't throw new light on the human condition and it won't win any Pulitzer prizes, but it's raw, it swaggers, it sways, it goes for the jugular. Taking prisoners isn't an option. I love it.
With
Sinner in GS's ranks, the
Thin Lizzy influence was bound to loom large and make its presence felt at some juncture, and it does. '
Down On Luck' nods its head vigorously in Lynott's direction and captures the man's and the band's way with a sleek hook and a streetwise lyric.
Elsewhere, the Coverdale-esque
'Same Old City' joins all the slickly commercialised bluesrock dots and comes up with a familiar but still appealing picture.
'Heat Of The Night' is just as sticky, sweaty and sensual as you would expect, with a neatly crafted hook. Appropriately, '
Red' closes the album by folding a million seventies' influences into one hard-as-nails, sturdily tuneful rock song.
You'll read other critics saying this album isn't up to scratch, that it's too derivative. Don't believe them. Yes, this band wear their hard rockin' influences up and down their sleeves, but hell, when the music is this good, who cares.
Written by
Brian Monday, February 26, 2007
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