New Model Army – ‘Unbroken’ (Ear Music)

New Model Army – ‘Unbroken’ (Ear Music)

Cue rough uptempo vigorous repetitive electric guitar lick quickly followed by the warm earthy tones of Justin Sullivan’s vocals soon to be joined by an acoustic guitar being attacked with venom and purpose before the drums join in with a ricocheting tribal rhythm and ‘First Summer After’ is burrowing into your brain with a sound and attack that is the first new New Model Army track of the 2024 album whilst also drawing on early sounds made by the band who on this opening evidence have lost none of the anger and attack that fuelled them over the past decades. The Bass line is struck with force that drives you into the second song which opens with an equally aggressive Bass line. ‘Language’ is a snarling throbbing uptempo slice of old school-stripped back New Model Army. I like where this is taking me, I’m liking it a lot with every play.

It’s unfussy bare boned NMA there are no strings no hushed tones or lush deliveries this is toe to toe in your face. You can feel the breath from the vocals being howled out in your ear being ably backed by the band’s most aggressive-sounding album for a while. ‘Reload’ is the sound of the UK or the parts of the UK that are tuned in and switched on and fed up to fuck with the current incumbents of parliament and their hollow rhetoric and constant bullshit. The Riff is a grunting poked beast that is salivating as it strains on the leash to be set free. A most excellent song and nails the mood of the lyrics.

Sullivan expressed the story behind ‘I Did Nothing Wrong’ and the latest miscarriage of Justice engulfing the UK for the past few weeks with every Tory jumping on the bandwaggon expressing outrage at the poor predicament of ex-postmasters who got fucked over by a corrupt system. some insight into the lyrics adds gravitas and weight to the song and elevates this body of work even further. ‘Cold Wind’ is the first hushed intro on the record with acoustic guitar and some twisted samples paving the way as the darker side of the record takes you on a journey that enables you to take stock and breathe in what’s already come before it.

The reflective mood of 2019s ‘From Here’ is swept aside on ‘Unbroken’ for a darker more aggressive edge none more evident than the Early Nirvana ‘Blew’ era post-punk of ‘Coming Or Going’ if you’re looking for an album to lift you for the political fights about to engulf the UK and USA then let this album take the strain. It’s punching and swinging haymakers that would terrify bands half their age and some. Sullivan is moving towards retirement age and is up for the fight on this record. The self-reflecting continues on ‘If I’m Still Me’ which might explain the sound of this album and I can assure you – Fuckin’ right you are still you. This album is a nugget of solid gold with eleven of the finest New Model Army songs you could wish to hear. To come up with an album this strong is a testament to the talent of the band and its main protagonist Justin Sullivan for continuing this journey over many decades and still having the ability to write the best most complete album for several decades (and I’m someone who loves this band and has always championed their records even in the years where they weren’t a chart bothering beat combo).

I love the delay and reverb on the bass line in ‘Legend’ proper ‘Vengence’ tip of the hat there. The more I’ve played this album the better it gets with different songs jostling for my attention every time. Uncomplicating their core sound and stripping it back wasn’t something I expected at all especially after ‘Sinfonia’.

As the album reaches its climax you are taken on a late night stripped bare ‘Idumea’ with harmonies that are rich and warm and after the softer intro, the tribal rhythms take you off on another journey with some folky melodies and a softer song to offer hope with big choir vocals. but hold onto your strides there is one last push as the record is signed off with ‘Deserters’ and its thumping bass-driven song.

New Model Army have delivered the good and an album that will be riding high in my end-of-year top album list without a shadow of a doubt. A band I’ve had playing in my ears since the mid-80s and who have delivered some of the best albums I’ve had in my collection on multiple formats for all of my youth and adulthood and I still get excited when a new album hits and having the privilege of hearing it before its release is an honor, and for me to try and do it justice and get you as excited as I was when I first heard it. Simple this one – Buy it!

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Alice Cooper – ‘The Road’ (Ear Music)

Alice Cooper – ‘The Road’ (Ear Music)

Album number 740 from Mr. Cooper kicks off in style with ‘I’m Alice’ and the first single lifted from the album. To be fair to Alice, he’s reinvented himself throughout his career with a shift to the left and a shuffle to the right but at the core, he’s always been a rock n rolla. His dalliance with sleazy glam rock in the 80s brought him back to the masses but the music didn’t hit the heights of his 70s pomp when he released the classic albums tinged with glam and garage rock namely Killers and Schools Out culminating in the classic welcome to my nightmare.

To be fair to the Coop he’s always pumped out albums every couple of years at least and over the last decade or so he took an introspective glance and returned to his garage roots churning out some very impressive albums.

Seemingly always on the road, it makes sense to get an album called The Road featuring his trusty band. Whilst this might not be as loyal to those garage roots and a heavier harder rockin’ record it has moments of pure Alice Cooper joy as well as the huge vaudeville moments. Also ends with a fairly decent take on the classic magic bus.

‘I’m Alice’ begins with the harmonising guitars before Alice croons in. Delivering a really good vocal for a solid opener. But these days it takes a while to get comfortable when playing albums from top to bottom. With a cheeky wink ‘I’m Alice’ sets the scene with the gang harmonised vocals and spoke verses it’s a bit of Alice from across the decades.

‘Welcome To The Show’ begins with the guitars during it out before the rhythm section puts the pedal to the metal and races off. Good energy and one no doubt aimed at the live setting.

‘All Over The World’ has a cool swaggering intro and some good harmonies setting the tone as Alice leads the band through the best song of the opening trio. Seemingly content with where he’s at these days Alice stays within his comfort zone and the horn stabs add a different variety to the harder rock edges it’s much better than the hard rock workout that is ‘Dead Done Dance’. The Zac Wyldd tone doesn’t help.

‘Go Away’ sets off at a rapid pace and Alice noticeably sings really well. The slide guitar work works really well here. When Alice does heavy I can take it or leave it  usually but at times it works really well. ‘White Line Frankenstein’ again messes with his tried and trusted touring lyrics and horror fascination all in one tune. The riff is loud n dirty and works well. Good song.

‘Big Boots’ with the added piano chops and funky bass line is where the album gets going. Alice playing some old-school garage rock ‘n’n roll is where he excels for me this past few years. The vocal delivery is spot on and his storytelling qualities step to the fore. The highlight so far no question.

‘Rules Of The Road’ is yet more shuffle in a shit house garage rock n roll where Alice borrows the DNA of milk and alcohol and rocks it up with some pretty sweet guitar noodling to please the guitar fans out there. Reminds me a bit of hanoi rocks on their CBS ‘Two Steps’ album the DNA thread is also in there folks trust me.

‘The Big Goodbye’ is another of the heavy tracks on offer but has a decent melody and the chorus is really good. With thirteen tracks on offer even if one is a cover albeit a decent take on a classic, Cooper’s creative juices continue to flow and all power to him for that. ‘Road Rats Forever’ harks back to his 70s prime and is another of the album’s best moments as he looks in the rearview mirror but with a modern twist.

If your wondering where the Alice Cooper power ballad might be on this record then you win no prize for looking through the song titles and picking out ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ and to be fair this one is pretty decent with a great vocal and I like the acoustic strum with the rhythm section kicking back. One of his better power ballads to be fair.

As we head for the final destination we have one pre-pit stop workout in the shape of ‘100 More Miles’ and Alice gets all creepy crawly for his Tom Waits intro and rock out mixing classic 70s Coop into the 21st century before kicking out the jams with a trip home on ‘The Magic Bus’ as he pays tribute to one of his favourite bands and prob fav tune.  All in all a decent album. with some really good songs for Alice Cooper as he goes from tour to album to tour to album and shows no sign of slowing down and all power to him I hope there’s plenty more in the tank he puts bands half his age to shame with his work rate and quality. Long live the Coop and all who ride with him.

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The Damned – ‘Darkadelic’ (Ear Music)

The Damned – ‘Darkadelic’ (Ear Music)

Half a century of Anarchy and Chaos and a bit of downtime as well to be fair, but in the main, The Damned have never let me down and when their output has been; shall we say less than palatable they’ve delivered live over and over and they’ve kept evolving and therefore keeping themselves relevant as they move into the twilight years disgracefully still making new music and hit or miss doing it their way and I love that about the band. A friend once described The Damned as his Beatles or Elvis and I totally got that because their my Rolling Stones as well God Bless them and all who sail under the Damned flag.

Anyway ‘Darkadelic’. Seemed to rise like a phoenix with the first couple of tracks leaked out into the ether with videos and like Marmite fans either loved it or loathed it there can be no in-between it would seem. The recent tour they’ve undertaken was punctured mid-set with the whole album played in its entirety and for some it was unwelcome and for others (like me) it was most welcome (let’s be honest here whilst its always nice to hear New Rose and Smash it up I want to hear new songs especially if they are decent and that’s where I have to begin these songs are indeed pretty bloody decent).

This is not The Damned who released ‘Machine Gun Etiquette those days are gone – time moves on and that is their past neither is it The Damned who hit paydirt during the MCA years of lift music and if I’m honest I didn’t much like the last studio outing either but this is a more focussed record, a more energetic record and the songs stand tall and have plenty of punch that was certainly missing off the last release. These guys don’t sound like men who should be on their allotments rather than making a racket in Acton studios weaving their Gothic, psychedelic ditties that have melody and relevance in the year 2023.

Starting with the mid-paced ‘Invisible Man’ is Vanian rolling back the years and delivering a masterclass in Gothic vocal and melodies that is instantly recognisable whilst Sensible again shows he has the chops that he probably doesn’t get enough credit for as far as openers go this one is strong.

One of the songs that worked best on the recent live shows was the energetic ‘Bad Weather Girl’ where a Sensible vocal works best and the swirling keys add atmosphere to a top tune punctuated by that unbelievably hypnotic flurry of bass notes courtesy of the maestro Paul Gray as the song weaves its course through some impressive soloing from the Captain. To follow it up with the riff-heavy ‘You’re Gonna Realise’ with its sumptuous chorus that changes gears in a classic Vanian way and the trinity of Sensible Riffola meets Gray’s thump topped off with Vanians ear for a twisted melody is majestic.

Next up is the Damned doing their best political commentary on ‘Beware Of The Clown’ built around another impressive chop from Mr Sensibles six-string as Gray weaves in between the strokes. There is more than enough dirt being spat from the speakers as Vanian strokes your ears with his lush deep tones.

So far so good, I hope we’re all sitting comfortable and used the bathroom as ‘Western Promise’ has a ‘Black Album’ meets ‘Phantasmagoria’ feel to it. Another excellent vocal for Vanian. That Gothic haunting style the band do so well jostles to be heard on ‘Wake The Dead’ and half way through this record and I’m quietly impressed so far. This record is instantly gratifying and also slow burning therefore messing with my reviewers ear. I’m waiting for the next one to maybe hit the buffers but its not happening and there is a little voice inside my old head screaming at me, “this si why I love the Damned” they deliver the good when I wasn’t expecting it and thus far in there is no filler only songs that are taking me to various places through their career and dumping me in the here and now 2023 The Damned are churning out excellent songs on an excellent album and I love it.

‘Follow Me’ is a bonafide garage rock stonker. Then, follows that with the barking rabid dog that is ‘Motorcycle Man’ and give to give Monty his props he fingers a mean swirling Garage organ (oo-er Mrs) throughout and it’s not overpowering but sympathetic to the songs and works a treat adding another texture to the most welcome guitar heavy songs. ‘From Your Lips’ lays back as the penultimate offering is lowering the heart rate with yet more sweet solos that elevate already impressive songs.

Finally we reach the end and ‘Roderick’ sees Vanian get his brushes out to paint one last gothinc masterpiece, his tongue firmly in his cheek for a candlelit finale of epic, not too overstated grandiousity that only the Damned can get away with and once again Vanains vocals deliver sounding like a man half his age. since James left Vanain moved forward from the shadows and grew into his role and has spent the last 30 years showing why he is at the top of his trade and has no equal, a masterclass of dark arts and velvet smooth tones a great twist at the end of a very impressive album.

It’s been a crazy half-a-century journey for Vanian and Sensible and all who sail on the good ship Damned. If this is to be their last studio recording then they’ve delivered a smouldering, punchy masterclass, at times sensitive others astute and always on their terms. God I love the Damned and ‘Darkadelic’ is a welcome release into a catalogue that has more ups than downs as well as a smattering of magic moments that haven’t been equalled by anyone. It once again shows how bloody good they are at their chosen craft. Long Live The Damned and their Darkadelic brilliance.

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