Go Like Hell "Hell Bent Rock 'n' Roll" CD
[Buttermilk]
Ehhh, no thanks. Punk-fueled rock 'n' roll with sneering female vocals, but it doesn't rock hard enough for me. The recording needs a little more wide open volume and force, and the songwriting needs more energy. It comes off as a little bland and ineffective, so it sort of falls flat. The vocals aren't doing much for me, but I think that's because they feel a little loud. Were the guitars a little louder and more distorted the vocals would probably fall in line better. The rhythm section just needs more oomph. Really I'm just not sure the vocalist is being given much to work with musically, as these songs harness no real energy or anger. The material's not catchy, and even though the songs average around three minutes each nothing gets fast paced enough either. And some of the better riffs come up short because there's not enough meat to the guitar sound at all. Sometimes the riffing gets a little quirkier and adds some nice speed, which I like (see "Feedbags and Fistfights"), but sadly there's just not one complete song on this record that I enjoy from start to finish. Straight up rockers like the no frills "Eat My Dust" come close as well, but something's still missing, you know? The songs are all somewhat similar in feel and tempo, and I'm just not feelin' it. I'm not really into the layout either but it gets the job done. The cover photos is definitely cool looking as far as its quality, but the rest of the design is on the plain side. Lyrically this is all in your face rock 'n' roll, as titles like "Eat My Dust" and "Hotter Than Love", in addition to the title track, would suggest. Do the math on that one. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. I was hoping this would really rock somethin' fierce, but it's not hitting me at all. Play faster, play louder, kick up the distortion on those guitars, and give the vocalist something she can really go apeshit over... I think that would make a huge difference. If you're gonna call your band Go Like Hell and your record "Hell Bent Rock 'n' Roll", you need to back it up with some action, right? Just go crazy with it, 'cause this one's not there yet. (4/10)
Running time - 35:51, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: nothing hits me, to be honest]
Buttermilk Records - http://www.buttermilkrecords.com

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