{"id":3289,"date":"2019-01-15T05:00:23","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T05:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=3289"},"modified":"2019-01-12T11:36:01","modified_gmt":"2019-01-12T11:36:01","slug":"the-last-internationale-soul-on-fire-firebrand-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=3289","title":{"rendered":"The Last Internationale \u2013 \u2018Soul On Fire\u2019 (Firebrand Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Life in a rock \u2018n\u2019 roll band ain\u2019t too easy these days, just ask Edgey Pires and Delila Paz from NYC band The Last Internationale. They released their major label debut album \u2018We Will Reign\u2019 to critical acclaim back in 2014. With Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk hitting the skins and<\/p>\n

guitarist Tom Morello as their friend and mentor, they toured the world with the likes of Robert Plant, appeared on US prime time TV and did the festival circuit in Europe and America, winning fans for their incendiary live shows.<\/p>\n

Call it fate or call it bad luck, but for whatever reason, the hard work never paid off. Shafted by their label and having the record industry slam doors in their faces, momentum was lost. The duo decided to take matters into their own hands, regaining full artistic freedom to record and release their music on their own terms.<\/p>\n

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After lengthy delays, their sophomore album \u2018Soul On Fire\u2019 finally sees the light of day and via PledgeMusic, a vinyl copy landed on my doorstep just in time for Christmas.<\/p>\n

As I drop the needle on the rather pretty, light blue marbled wax for the umpteenth time, the jammed intro plays out with rising feedback as Delila proceeds to croon over Edgey\u2019s dirty blues fuelled riffs and drummer Joey Castillo\u2019s powerhouse beats. The three musicians play off each other, seemingly live in the studio, before leading into first song proper \u2018Hard Times\u2019, a solid rocker in the vein of \u2018Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Indian Blood\u2019 from their debut album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been lost, I\u2019ve been pushed, pulled and turned around\u201d sings Delila. Written during a turbulent time in their career, \u2018Soul On Fire\u2019 is the sound of a band with a fire in their bellies, a band with something to say and a band who will not give up the fight.<\/p>\n

\u2018 Mind Ain\u2019t Free\u2019 follows. A retro sounding groove with a modern rock \u2018n\u2019 roll twist, that mixes up Jefferson Airplane pop sensibilities with Royal Blood styled grooves…nice! \u2018Try Me\u2019 with its stabs of Hammond like keys, lo-fi guitars and a great melody gives a more commercial, yet still classic rock sounding vibe. The vocals draw you into the verse, ready to power out and sing along on the chorus.<\/p>\n

Funked up blues workouts like the slide guitar-induced \u2018Tempest Blues\u2019 and dirty bass ridden \u20185th<\/sup> World\u2019 are all well and good, but it\u2019s when they mix it up a bit that things really get interesting.<\/p>\n

\u2018Freak Revolution\u2019 closes side one. It\u2019s a dark and foreboding beast that skulks along like the bastard son of Sabbath and Soundgarden. A great chorus refrain that sees Delila preaching the revolution we all need, as Edgey pulls off killer solos behind her.<\/p>\n

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The title track gets side two up and running with understated acoustic guitars and keys that intertwine with beautiful vocal lines, as it builds to a glorious crescendo of a chorus. Name-checking Jimi, Janis, and Nina Simone, The Last Internationale proudly wear their influences on their sleeves.<\/p>\n

\u2018Need Somebody\u2019 proves to be one of the key tracks on the album. Dark, brooding and with an intensity that slowly builds, but in a different way to \u2018Freak Revolution\u2019.\u00a0 With haunting vocals and with just one opening verse, it\u2019s a song that relies on its rousing chorus refrain to see it through, and it\u2019s powerful enough to do the job. It builds like classic Fleetwood Mac meeting Patti Smith on a dusty highway, then takes an unexpected dive into the depths on the soul for the chorus, Trent Reznor style. Cinematic and glorious.<\/p>\n

The rocket fuelled \u2018Hit Em With Your Blues\u2019 is a signature rocker that aims for the jugular. This is the sound and feel of The Last Internationale in the live arena or the hot sweaty club, vying for your attention.<\/p>\n

Side two closes with Delilah acapella, just handclaps accompany her. Live and in one take, like an ancient chain gang work song, a snippet of a stadium-sized tune in its rawest form. It has more power than a wall of Marshalls in Wembley Stadium and that is something special.<\/p>\n

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It has been said that an artist is at their best when they have to fight for it, when they are down on their luck with something to prove and nothing left to lose. The Last Internationale have delivered the album they wanted to make and more importantly, the album they needed to make.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t have the instant, radio-friendly hooks of its predecessor. No, \u2018Soul On Fire\u2019 is a darker album that takes time to digest. But with repeated plays, the melodies dig under the skin, dig into the soul and stay there. In time it will be accepted as a modern classic rock record that stands tall against all the competition this year. Do yourself a favour, buy the album, catch them live if you can and join the revolution, you will not be disappointed.<\/p>\n

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(This album was reviewed from a vinyl copy that was played on an actual record player. No downloads, MP3s or streaming services were used in the creation of this piece.)<\/p>\n

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Author: Ben Hughes<\/p>\n