Well here it is kiddie winkies the ‘Best Of’ album of the year and probably any other year if it were a competition, which it isn’t. But if it were Mötochrist has won.  From the artwork to the content and the cliche crammed melodies its an absolute steal at any price.  If you haven’t already ordered your own copy why not?

Originally released as one of those Kickstarter campaigns many many moons ago (at least 18 months if I’m honest) and for it being a Greatest Hits compilation fuck knows why it’s taken so long but it doesn’t even matter because it’s Mötochrist and they Rock and that can do what they want simple as that!

 

I know there’s a certain irony of it being a Greatest Hits seeing as they’ve only ever released one single on vinyl proper oh ok So ‘I Don’t Ride Bitch’ was a single-sided No Balls creation and they did release a three-track CD Ep. and that was on No Balls and not many will have ordered it anyway but truth being known everything Mötochrist has released is the Greatest anyway even when they’re not on top form its still the Greatest and way better than 99.9% of other bands records. Oh, and the artwork is a stroke of genius front and centre – absolute stone-cold classic. I’m lucky being a fanboy I got mine signed even during COVID because if it wasn’t already obvious there’s no way any Virus is taking Mötochrist down not now not ever- they are indestructible

So Whats on this Greatest Hits then I hear you say through salivating chops. Well, the only downside is its just the one record and not a double album or better still boxed set with everything they’ve recorded on vinyl – Fingers crossed eh?

It starts as it does at the start of the ‘Greetings’ album with the glorious ‘Hang Em High’ and the total heaviness of those Guitars man it’s fucking awesome and the tone of Diamond and Vodka is immense. Catchy tune after catchy tune with cheeky lyrics and big riffs this compilation is a must-have don’t take yourself too seriously and let your hair down ‘The Fist’ is a beauty and from the bands decade-old ‘Corvette Summer’ album (man it seems like yesterday)

Then it’s back to those ‘Salt Flats’ for ‘Super Sonic Speed Machine’ but its not all full throttle as the laid back ‘Holiday’ steps up with its ‘Strip club’ staple groove and killer chorus. Of course, the tribute to ‘Evel’ is present as is Marc Diamond penned ‘Pretty Girls’. Then to close off the first half, side one is drinking anthem ‘We Came We Saw We Drank’ and its TV Eye tip of the hat to Iggy and boozing and a fine way to take us to half time.

Side two opens with a pair from ‘Corvette Summer’ before their last album ‘Chrome’ rears its devil horned head.  I’m going through side two and by the time I hit ‘Hellbound’ and its wonderful lyrics of Shakespearian quality.  I guess having self-awareness is a good thing and guys I think Hellbound is the only option so well done for embracing your final destination but as the final thirteenth track ‘I Don’t Ride Bitch’ plays out I realise there’s no room for the epic ‘Marc Diamond’  or ‘El Diablo’ uh what? oh, I see Pfew Volume One. It just wouldn’t be fair to overload this one so you’re forgiven.

In short, just buy this album if you don’t have a record player, well, this is your excuse to get one.  A stone-cold winner of Greatest Hits album of the year and its only August for fucks sake!

 

Oh and to make this bad boy even more desirable (if that’s possible) my record came with a CD that features a whole heap of bands covering Mötochrist which is as we all know futile but worth a go and most definitely worth a listen from some pretty straight takes on classics and some that are well and truly fucked with oh and they have ‘Marc Diamond’ and ‘El Diablo’ so all not lost. Danny Christ!? Jesus wept I can’t stop looking at it and laughing.

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Author: Dom Daley

Your waking up to the sad news that Walter Lure, who was guitarist in iconic NYC punk band The Heartbreakers, has died after battle with lung cancer and liver cancer. He was 71.  Walter was diagnosed with liver and lung cancer in July 2020, which spread rapidly and he died from complications related to cancer at the age of 71, peacefully in the hospital, surrounded by family. He was very much loved and respected for all he contributed to the world of music. He will be dearly missed.  He last played Rebellion festival here in the UK last Summer and continued to perform songs from the classic L.A.M.F. as well as his solo material.  We’d like to send our best wishes to his family and close friends for their loss.  Rest easy Walter.

Lure was the last surviving member of The Heartbreakers  Walter leaves behind a lean but incredible musical legacy and will be missed by many. The perfect foil to Thunders onstage, Walter leaves behind the L.A.M.F album that spawned and influenced several generations of Rock and Rollers as well as a couple of classic solo records with the Waldos.  I was lucky enough to interview him many years ago and he was engaging, charming, humble and funny and it was great to meet one of your heroes who deserved to be on the pedestal you put them on. Rest In Peace Walter Lure – Rock and Roll Legend.

 

As my learned colleague, Craggy waxed lyrically when he reviewed ‘Honked’ the first of these Anniversary albums from Diamond Dogs, I went on a journey down the Rock and ROll highway and played every Diamond Dogs album released and the overriding thought I had was –  Damn this band was smoking hot when they got in that groove.

They were honking on the whole Faces early ’70s Stones vibe and they were killing it every time and the most important thing was they had the tunes to go with the swagger and if those five albums were my gift to the world I’d be so proud of my band and the songs we’d created. Its quite some collection and as the band aged like a good wine they changed taste but remained true to their roots and sound.

On reflection, it seems like yesterday the band were rolling into my small village and pitching up their amps in a restaurant at the rear of my local boozer on a Sunday night after having a show in the City cancelled they then proceeded to Rock the socks off the locals with a wonderful and impressive set. These sets are pressed on vinyl as well as CD and contain a plethora of bonus tracks (singles B Sides) to wrap up the tunes from that period in a perfect set.

As Your Greens Turn Brown: After the keys introduce the listener with a bit of ‘Bloodshot’ before kicking up a shitstorm in the shape of the fantastic no holds barred ‘Goodbye, Miss Jill’ even now it makes me smile a five-mile smile when the band kicks in and the harmonica starts honkin’.

The record ebbs and flows superbly with the highs being particularly high and when the band gets going man they sounded authentic and passionate.  The lulls when they’d kickback. Their blend of Hammond and Rock and Roll overdrive mixed with a few horns stabs here and there is timeless. Let the good times roll on the ballsy ‘Hardhitter’ and then they can drop a few gears as they venture off into Small Faces territory via ‘Singing With The Alleycats’ it’s easy to see how these guys got gigs with Punk rockers like the Damned or Rockers like The Cult and Nazareth when you hear the raw ‘Bite Off’ with its too fast to live riff and with that variety in mind you pick up the flavour of just how talented a songwriter Sulo is and he lives these songs and wears them on his sleeve you can’t bluff Rock and Roll this good which is why he attracted the likes of Darrel Bath and Steve Klasson into the fold.

 

The band were comfortable letting go and cutting loose as they were doing the jig is up country-tinged ‘Anywhere Tonight’ as they were doing the whole Thin Lizzy duel guitar kick-off that had songs like ‘Boogie For Tanja’ being so effortlessly good. Then when they needed to turn down the lights they could glide into ‘Yesterdays Nymph’ in one fell swoop. When Sulo took the mood down he has a wonderful tone on his voice and as far as taking on the Brits doing the whole R&B thing there’s no contest Diamond Dogs were more consistent than a lot of their contemporaries churning out albums of exceptionally high quality and this bad boy is right up there with the best of them and when your B Sides are as good as your A-Sides you know you’re onto something.

Fifteen songs of exceptional quality its like they once said Too much is never enough! Bring on the next one and I’ll get me filled up on more trips down memory lane and promise myself to play these records more often they deserve it and so do you – Buy it!

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Author: Dom Daley

In the wake of Coronavirus many albums being released are cited as “an album of the times” or “the soundtrack to lockdown”, yet most were written and recorded before lockdown was even a thing. It seems some musicians are just clued in to the right frequency for the times. One such band is Brighton folk heroes the Levellers.

Now, Levellers have been releasing “an album of the times” since their first album ‘A Weapon Called The Word’ was released on an unsuspecting world in 1990. Taking their name from the political movement, the band have always been outspoken with their left-wing political views and voicing change with their lyrics and in interviews.

They outgrew their humble, crusty beginnings, headlined Glastonbury in 1994 and even bothered the charts a few years later with the likes of ‘Just The One’ and ‘What A Beautiful Day’. The mid nineties saw the band go it alone, becoming independent with their own self-contained headquarters called The Metway. There they have their offices, where they run the fan club, it houses a rehearsal space and recording studio. And they continue to be self-sufficient to this day with their On The Fiddle record label.

 

While ‘Peace’ is their first new studio album in 8 years, the band has not been sitting on their laurels. 2008’s ‘We The Collective’ saw the band re-imagine an album of their songs acoustically, with an orchestra at Abbey Road. They continue to tour extensively and host their own Beautiful Days Festival. The recent deluxe vinyl reissues of their discography have kept fans content in the lead up to album number 11.

And album number 11 is a throwback to what the band does best. Produced by long time collaborator Sean Lakeman, ‘Peace’ sees the band in fine form, delivering the perfect mix of Celtic, guitar-driven anthems and folk-tinged balladry.

3 singles have whetted the fans appetites over the past months in lockdown. Opener and first single ‘Food Roof Family’ is an energised burst of noise, with driving bass and frantic fiddle and the same thought provoking lyricism that captures the same vibe as their early recordings. An instant anthem. With its retro keyboard refrain ‘Generation Fear’ sees a different, edgy direction. Still bold, brazen and relevant in 2020, it will surely become a future live favourite, guaranteed to get your inner crusty bouncing. ‘Calling Out’ sees guitarist Simon Friend take to the mic for a raspy tale of escaping the rat race. All 3 have their own merits but are very much Levellers in sound and feel.

Friend appears for lead vocals on several occasions, as he has done in the past. The emotive ‘Four Boys Lost’ is a sea shanty recalling the tragic tale of sailors lost at sea. ‘The Men Who Would Be King’ is raucous, punk fuelled noise-mongery, and for the first time he duets with singer Mark Chadwick on the marvellous ‘Albion and Phoenix’. The latter references the bands beginnings, Albion being a hill in Brighton and The Phoenix is the squat they used to hang out at. Full of choppy riffs and melodious fiddle, the juxtaposition of Chadwick and Friend’s vocals work perfectly on a song of reflection and sentimentality.

Elsewhere, the likes of Chadwick’s ‘Born That Way’ with its Clash-lite riff and fiddle refrain, along with Friend’s upbeat stomper ‘Our New Day’ show the more commercial mid-nineties Levellers along with the more poignant traditional laments of ‘Ghost In The Water’ and album closer ‘Our Future’.

 

 

Choc-a-bloc with their trademark observational lyricism and Celtic punk vibes, ‘Peace’ preaches a message of hope, which is nothing new for this band, but in these trying times the message seems just as relevant, if not more so than it was in the early nineties. They may be older, wiser and not the angry young punks they once were, but the Levellers still have something to say and in the current political and social climate, ‘Peace’ could well be the perfect soundtrack to our times.

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

If Godzilla was Swedish he’d be playing hard, fast and nasty rock & roll in a band just like Scumbag Millionaire. He may even grow a moustache and change his name to Max.

Now you’ve got the picture, let me introduce you to “Poor and Infamous”, the second long-player from these four Gothenburg gutter deviants. The record that’ll get you safely through the rest of this Covid craziness.

From full-throttle opener, “Demi-God” to sleazoid closer “One For The Road”, “Poor and Infamous” is an ass-kicking classic. Think early ‘copters (obvs), think classic Motorhead and you’re almost halfway there. Where ever there is !?!

Lead single “Ain’t No Doubt” is everything The Backyard Babies used to be, totally Total 13 and a bang on dyed in the wool classic. Check out the video.

“You Had It Coming” gets a little Mick Taylor-era Stones groove on, while “Chasing Dawn” pummels you in the ears into submission.

The distorted bass intro to“Put A Price On My Soul” is pure Boss DS1 magic courtesy of the legendary Sunlight Studio.  Tomas Skogsberg’s production is spot on, the man is the Phil Spector of the garage punk metal universe.

“Desperado” is a monster. A face-fucking distorted onslaught.

“Subterranean Twist” reminds me of the early Scumbag singles (check out US compilation “Fast Track Big Pack” if you missed them).

“Highway Blues” calls on those super sexy bass tones again. Not as full on as its “Poor and Infamous” bed fellows but it’s a tune that BYB would kill for.

“Trouble City” is pure Motorhead magic and “Dead Man’s Hand” ain’t no slacker either.

Rounding things off with the aforementioned Sea Hags-tastic “One For The Road”, “Poor and Infamous” is simply the bollocks.

Pre-order the album Here on limited transparent magenta vinyl, regular black vinyl or on ye-olde traditional CD.

 

While you’re at it grab the US comp “Fast Track Big Pack” along with debut album “Speed”. You won’t regret it. Guaranteed !!!

 

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Author: Frazer Munro

In the mid to late 90’s it seemed that bands in Scandinavia had sold their collective souls at the Cross Roads found at the Three-Country Cairn, where each member was given the complete discography of the Nomads, The Stooges and the MC5 and told to go away and learn them.

Paving the road were the three horsemen of the apocalypse; The Hellacopters, Gluecifer and the Flaming Sideburns. Following on in their wake were the just as important and influential second wave, never quite making it to the Arenas but packing out clubs across their home Countries, Europe and even as far afield as North America. One such band was the “DEMONS”. Strangely enough, the States, notably the Pacific Northwest, embraced the Scandinavian Invasion and for a while, “DEMONS” were the uncrowned Kings of it.

To celebrate the band’s 25th Anniversary a live album called “No Loitering” that was recorded between their second album “Stockholm Slump” and third “Demonology” on the 5th March 2004 at The Crocodile Cafe in Seattle is being released via Vitriola Recordings

The press release says that “It by no means is pretty”, I’m not even sure if this is off the Soundboard or a very well recorded audience recording but it’s what we want, no scrub that, it’s what we need; fast, sweaty and furious without any compromises. The original classic four piece line-up kicking an eleven song set off with “Undertaker’s Lament” from the aforementioned “Stockholm Slump” but before you have time to register that fact the band are already ripping through “Devil In Me” but it’s not all past glories as the band road test the as yet unreleased “Lost Dog” and “What’s This Shit Called Love”, that both sit perfectly well in the set. The gig is the perfect length for us old school TDK 90 merchants coming in at just under 40 minutes.

Back in the day if I did have this on a cassette on the other side would be the Ramones “It’s Alive”. The only gripe I have is no “Electrocute”. Over here in Dear olde Blighty gigs still seem a long way off. This is why “No Loitering” is so important; not only is it a band firing on all cylinders but it is a reminder of how good live gigs are.    

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Author: Armitage Smith

*This album is a Bandcamp exclusive. It will not be found on Spotify or any of the other streaming services.
A limited-edition digipack cd with a bonus poster will be released by Vitriola Records and will be available at a later date*

   

Sweden’s much-loved and well-travelled charismatic rock ‘n’ rollers Diamond Dogs have returned to the scene and they are bringing re-releases of their first 5 albums with them. Released through the Wild Kingdom record label, these 5 LPs cover the first 10 years of their existence, which began in 1993 with the album Honked.

Honked set the scene for the coming years for the Dogs. Headed by the singer/songwriter Sulo, the band would at various points involve musicians from a worldwide spectrum of spectacular and influential bands. Honked was big news in Sweden, and it pushed their boundaries far beyond Scandinavia, with single ‘Blue Eyes Shouldn’t Be Cryin’’ making its way onto MTV rotation, back when the M meant Music and not Money. It would see them tour all over the world with some of the biggest household names.

The album now has been repackaged as Honked (All Over Again) and includes three additional tracks in Lucille (Richard’s, not Kenny’s), Sweet Sister Sunrise and Big Bayou (originally by Swampwater and then covered extensively). Many years following its original release, Honked is still brimming with that delightful charm that has always been instilled in the Dogs’ music. Raunchy and swaggering, the Dogs’ music is unapologetically 70s inspired rock ‘n’ roll, rolling in a sweet mix of the Faces and the Stones. The song writing and the energy captured in the production ensure that it still stands up now.

The Diamond Dogs have always delivered this music in the best way possible – with honesty and charisma. If you like the Black Crowes or the Quireboys, and for some cruel reason the Diamond Dogs passed you by, diving into these 5 re-releases should set you straight. And there’s no better place to start than right at the beginning with Honked.

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Author: Craggy Collyde

 

I’m not a massive believer in fate or why things happen but I was asked to give a record a listen and possibly review it.  The dilemma I had was it was originally released late 2019 but hey the world has been on stop for some months anyway sure I’ll listen.  Then when I was putting together the pictures and links for this review I got a message from a label and asked if I’d ever heard a band named Stacy Crowne.  Now here’s where it gets spooky up until a few weeks ago I hadn’t but they did a split with a band I love (Christmas as it goes) and I reviewed the single last month and was really impressed with the sounds coming outta Stacy Crowne and then things snowballed The singer got in touch I played the record and then the label got in touch over something else entirely and bang as I type I have one of those boxes pop up whilst I’m spinning the record on my laptop its only Stacy Fucking Crowne! now that might just be a coincidence but we all know the evil powers of Rock and Roll and how they work so it might well be a sign and horns up for the band because I took it as the rock and Roll Gods telling me to turn the fucker up and band out my review and let everybody know how damn good this slice of Hard Rockin’ action is!

Strap yourself in kid this might get bumpy! From the opening ring of the overdrive, this is most definitely in the same ballpark as the scene back a couple of decades that had Gluecifer and The D4 ruling the roost along with Hellacopters and a hint of Supersuckers and Turbonegro.  If anything this is understated which is a shame (I missed it when it was released)  because opener ‘Oblivion’ sets the tone but by no means is the standout track maybe its the loosener opening couple of shots to accompany the big one and you have to build up to that nobody dives straight in or you’ll crash and burn but its got all the vital ingredients to Rock and Fuckin’ Roll but ‘White Lies’ adds the tambourine which is nice as the band cruise through the gears with a song not a million miles from Captain Poon and Biff Malibu its loud got a cool hook and plenty of punch but remains cool as without a bead of sweat on their brow nor a hair out of place this is good no I mean Good!

There’s always time for a bit of Boogie along the lines of Backstreet Girls ‘Tightrope’ with a really tight chorus with layered BV’s almost power-pop wearing big boys leather gloves and mirror shades if you know what I mean? and the keys added really lift it.  Great track.

When they just want to rock out they do so with consummate ease (‘Some Equals None’) they add some neat bass runs on ‘Get Loaded Now!’ Basically if you ever hankered after a record that has loud guitars but not for the sake of it loud and ever wanted riffs and plenty of crash bang wallop then ‘We Are Electric’ is an album you have to hear. The title track or ‘We Are The Rest’ delivers in spades and throw in some of that dirty rock that bands like American HEartbreak or The Four Horsemen touched upon but also delivered great records.

 

If I had to pick a standout track then it would have to be ‘Lovebite’ sure it sings from that classic Gluecifer hymnsheet but damn it’s a good song with gang vocals and laid back verses it’s quality and some splendid guitar playing, especially on the breakdown. It only leaves the power ballad of ‘Too Easy’ to cruise off into the sunset.  Only joking its not a token power ballad but it is like one of the Hellacopters road movie tunes, a little more laid back than the others maybe, and with some dueling guitars noodling for good measure its been a blast.

I’m only gutted I didn’t pick this up late last year but hey we can’t be on top of everything and I’m glad I’ve had the pleasure of playing it over and over now.  I won’t be making that mistake again.  Just buy it.

Buy ‘We Sound Electric’ Here or Here 

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Author: Dom Daley

Fontaine’s opener merely walks out of the traps.  It hasn’t got its proverbial chest puffed up it just strides confidently with ‘I don’t belong’ coming across like a band weened on the reissues of Joy Division but hooked on melodies from Mozza but with that delightful Dublin lilt.  The track never breaks sweat but neither does it want you to look away either.

In a world where bands don’t have to conform or look like they’re in a gang and often look as far removed from being in a band of uncompromising post-punk noisemakers that you could possibly imagine.  Fontaines D.C are like that and I doubt they give a single flying fuck what you or I think as to what a band should look like in 2020.  In a world where Idles and Sleaford Mods can seemingly walk on water and breakthrough into the mainstream then there’s always room for another and Fontaines might well be that band. this sophomore release rides the coattails of the debut in double quick time in case the streaming generation might forget who you are with the click of a mouse.

It’s not until  ‘Televised Mind’ do they get out of that strut walk I mentioned and you can finally take a breath and maybe move if you want.  It builds very much along the lines of a joy division with the guts being wrung out of the guitars effects.

Swirling Hawkwind effects signal ‘A Lucid Dream’ is taking hold. With some frantic drumming holding this number together this could be best described as space rock for the Covid generation as it ebbs and flows. Last year, Fontaines D.C. released their debut album Dogrel to widespread acclaim, garnering a legion of fans worldwide along the way. They toured behind it relentlessly. In another time, this would be nothing but a success story: A young band delivering on the hype rather than being swallowed by it. They should have been riding high; it should have been nothing but a triumphant year. But to hear the band speak of it, the whirlwind experience almost destroyed them. 

 

‘A Hero’s Death’. It’s an album that has its moments of frantic, claustrophobic songs that gasp for air often challenging the listener in challenging times.  At times there are songs full of charm like ‘You Said’ which is simple song as is the lite and beautifully simple ‘Oh Such A Spring’

 

‘A Hero’s Death,’ ‘I Was Not Born,’ and ‘Televised Mind’  all predate ‘Dogrel’ so if you liked that then there’s a fair chance this is going to ring your bell as well. They’ve not gone and done a Radiohead and cut their commercial throat deliberately here because they haven’t.  Fontaines D.C. know what the do and what they’re good at and hammer it home and using those principles they’ll never go out of fashion nor turn in a bad record like Idles they aren’t always an easy listen and that’s good because different tunes will leap on you when you least expect them to and those records have longevity and I like that dip in and dip out but you know they’re there. ‘Difficult angular sharp sounds for difficult times possibly the perfect chaotic record for the chaotic times we live in. At times challenging and others soothing and just nice.

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Author: Dom Daley

BLACK SABBATH CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR ICONIC ALBUM ‘PARANOID’

VINYL DELUXE EDITION OUT OCTOBER 9th VIA BMG

Five-LP Collection Includes Original Album Plus Rare Quad Mix

Along With The Vinyl Debut Of Two 1970 Concerts

 

Also Available As A 4CD Set

 

PRE-ORDER THE ‘PARANOID: SUPER DELUXE EDITION’ HERE

Widely regarded as innovators of the musical genre which came to be known as Heavy Metal, legendary Birmingham-bred Black Sabbath celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2020 of their multi-million selling album Paranoid with a 5-LP/4CD edition released on October 9th, featuring the vinyl debut of two 1970 concerts.

PARANOID:  SUPER DELUXE EDITION includes the original album, in addition to a rare 1974 Quad Mix of the album folded down to stereo, plus two concerts from 1970, from Montreux and Brussels, that are pressed on vinyl for the first time. The five-LP set comes with a hardbound book with extensive liner notes featuring interviews with all four band members, rare photos, and memorabilia, a poster, as well as a replica of the tour book sold during the Paranoid tour.

After the success of the band’s self-titled debut in early 1970, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward returned that fall with Paranoid. The record became the band’s first album to top the U.K. charts and has sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S. alone. Today, songs like “War Pigs,” “Planet Caravan,” “Iron Man,” and of course, “Paranoid,” continue to inspire a new generation of musicians around the world.

PARANOID: SUPER DELUXE EDITION first two LPs feature the original album plus a Quadraphonic Mix of the album. Originally released on vinyl and 8-track cartridge in 1974, but subsequently long out of print, the Quad Mix has now been made available as a fold-down to stereo mix on vinyl for this set.

The collection’s final three LPs mark the official vinyl debut of two 1970 live performances. The first was recorded on August 31 in Montreux, Switzerland shortly before the release of Paranoid. It captures the band, already a tight musical unit, thundering through new songs like “Hand Of Doom” and “Iron Man” while mixing in “N.I.B.” and “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” from their debut album. The second concert was recorded a few months later in Brussels during the band’s performance for Belgian television. Unofficial versions of this classic show have circulated in the past, but they’ve never sounded this good.

Pre-order the ‘Paranoid: Super Deluxe Edition’ HERE: