In 1991, Motörhead realeased the album ‘1916’, an album on which they sounded more alive than they had in years. The songs were sharper than their late 80s efforts and the band sounded like they’d regained a lot of their spark. There was a surprise too: the title track was a cello backed ballad, where Lemmy crooned about young men joining up to fight for king and country in the First World War. Nobody saw that coming…and they say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
ERIC CLAPTON – Another Ticket
Most sensible session musicians would have walked out on Eric Clapton after his hateful, racist outburst in Birmingham on August 5th 1976. However, his regular band of musicians from Tulsa stuck by him throughout the following two years as he battled with the bottle. After the release of the ‘Backless’ album in 1978, Clapton and band took to the road once again for a world tour. A full length movie ‘Eric Clapton’s Rolling Hotel’ was shot at this time during the German leg of the tour, but has never been given a full release.
DIRE WOLF – Black Death EP
As much as their choice of band name might suggest, Brisbane’s Dire Wolf probably don’t have much time for the Grateful Dead’s brand of Americana. Formed in 2011, the band’s chief goal was to become one of the city’s heaviest bands – and if they couldn’t claim such a feat previously, their 2015 EP release ‘Black Death’ must set them pretty close. In just under twelve minutes, the band lay down a brutal hardcore sound, uncompromising yet thrilling, in a manner that fuses influences from Dillinger Escape Plan with a whole lot more besides.
ANGRY SNOWMANS – What Makes An Elf Build Toys? EP
Angry Snowmans are potentially the funniest thing to emerge on the punk scene since Butt Trumpet released their debut LP in the mid 90s. This Victoria, BC based band have been dropping festive EP releases with tunes satirising Poison Idea, Adolescents and The Germs and reworking familiar punk tunes for yuletide amusement since 2008. There has been much to enjoy, but their twisting of Buzzcocks ‘Orgasm Addict’ into an ode to the Toblerone was particularly inspired. You’d think they’d have run out of steam after six years – let’s face it, most of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes stuff after album three is either pretty shoddy or just plain tired – but the Angry Snowmans’ 2015 release ‘What Makes An Elf Build Toys?’ could be their one of their best yet. While Brian Setzer is the undisputed crowd-pleaser when it comes to snow, sleigh bells, guitars and all-round xmas jollity, your holidays aren’t complete without this.
BLACK LUNA – Death Alley
Comprising ex-members of The Venus Flytrap, Black Luna is a three piece band who bill their music as “heavy lo-fi psychedelic garage”. That just about covers it, since their debut album 2015’s ‘Death Alley’ is all those things…and more. Often coming across like a hybrid of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and stoner rockers Ruby The Hatchet dressed down with a production value befitting a shoegaze band, these eight tracks really capture a sense of raw energy within a rather succinct twenty eight minutes.