I love this album.
For many reasons.
The fact they are British is interesting but irrelevant. If you're good you're good. Your nationality doesn't matter.
This band is great.
'Anthems Of A Degeneration' is more than just a swaggering, post Glamrock, post AC/DC, post G'n'R blitz of high voltage hard rock, where Bam and Andy Mack's razoring riffs, and Davy Casa and Kie McMurtrie's slamming beats fight it out with Phil Conalane's gravel throated howl.
Skill, experience, osmosis? Who knows. But somehow they've absorbed that whole authoritative, hard rock ethos, so rare that you find it only in an elite shortlist of rock bands. M$R regurgitate it with a raw conviction that's coupled with skilled musicianship and expansive arrangements, born out of many years of treading the boards.
Of course, namechecking bands - add in Buckcherry, The Angels and the occasional Led Zep inflexion - suggests that they aren't originals.
But who is? Everybody's been influenced by somebody, and they draw on those influences in creating their own sound.
'Anthems.' was originally released in 2008, by a now defunct record label. Consequently the album languished in commercial purgatory before being picked up, dusted down and reissued by the wise men at Powerage two years later.
The songs got remixed and remastered. And the album got slimmed down from 14 to 11 tracks.
Something that was a potent force in 2008 has become an unstoppable object in 2010.
Neal Calderwood's tight as a drum production gives everyone the space they need to excel, but leaves no room for indulgence.
That's a vital approach in recording in rock music, but arguably, the key is in the songwriting, and tellingly, all of the band contribute, individually or collaboratively. Battle hardened bruisers
'Superslave' and
'Tattooed & Dirty Girls' open the album. These are lean, mean, hard rock machines, designed to accelerate the heartbeat and get the adrenaline pumping.
'Livin In The City' seems to tread a well worn blues rock path, but makes up for that with a striking vocal performance from Conalane, vividly recalling Jeff Keith, backed up by spiralling, spring loaded guitars and thick cut rhythms.
Styling
'The Last Icon' in southern rock clothing makes the song's sweeping melancholy feel tough and fragile at one and the same time and the wonderful
'Can't Stop Me From Flying's reflective moods, signalled by neat time changes and guitar work are reminiscent of
Tesla at their most immediate.
Elsewhere, the unflinching toughness of
'Goodnight New York', full of hard nosed notions, is balanced by memorably melodic guitar soloing and a beautifully controlled vocal from Conalane, contrasting with '
Give It All', whose economic production, sharp edged arrangement and dry as a bone delivery recalls Oz's finest.
'Anthems Of A Degeneration' may not be the most original addition to the hard rock cannon, but few will be as well written, as well produced and as powerfully delivered as this.
Recommended.
Written by
Brian Thursday, November 11, 2010
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