Here we have 12 tracks and a little over a half-hour of full throttle 70's styled rock ?n' roll.? I don't really have a problem with these types of bands relying on tradition and offering nothing new, which is basically what these guys do, so long as they do it right... and I'd say these guys do that, too.? Expect songs that average a little under three minutes each and consist of basic rock ?n' roll chord progressions with bluesy little licks and lead breaks here and there, simple song structures, raspy vocals that aren't quite sung but do lean that way, etc. Most of the stuff is moderately paced, at times adding a little more energy through slightly peppier speeds (see "Bourbon Sprawl", for example). Like I said, it's nothing new, but they write solid songs and it's good for what it is. For the most part they're comparable to a number of contemporary acts that are focusing on this particular niche, but I guess that's because they're all drawing from the same influences and following the same general path of constructing basic rock songs. The instrumental "Put Down a Hype" makes the most use of dual guitar harmonies and such (even adding in some bass harmonies at times), but does allow a few rough spots in the performances to show themselves, though admittedly that element isn't something that creates a sore spot all that often. The awesomely titled "Jesus Hates Cleveland" is among my favorites, taking a little more of a punk rock twist to some of the chord progressions and having a little more overall dinginess and energy, though "Manic Offensive" does have a nice little groove going on that stands apart from the other tunes as well (also throwing in a little succinct dissonant melody during the chorus). "My Life is Shit (But Hey, Thanks for Asking)", another perfectly titled ditty, is sort of walking the line between the aforementioned two tracks, using a brief running time and lots of gang vocals for energy but twisting the chord phrasings up a bit to add more character to certain passages. The recording doesn't sound too dated, but they do use a nice and gritty guitar tone, and the sound is a little on the rough side to a degree. The only thing that bothers me is that the guitars and vocals both start clipping to distortion at times, which can get irritating and distract from the listen. But the rhythm section sounds nice and natural and the ultra dense bass tone forces its way out in order to wander from mirroring the guitar parts on several occasions. For the most part the mix is balanced and the overall sound fits their delivery, but a little extra tweaking could've made things a bit clearer and more efficient. The layout also goes for a 70's looking style, but I'm not really into it. It looks alright and creates enough of an association to where you get the idea of what the band is gonna offer, and the ugly color scheme fits that whole 70's thing, but the typefaces and overall arrangement look a little cluttered. No lyrics are included either, just credits and thanks lists, so... it's a little bland. Some of the lyrics that I can make out ("Get out of my head and into my pants.") suggest the content following the sex, drugs, and rock ?n' roll route, as expected, which is also nailed home with song titles like "Gas Ass or Grass" and "Denim and Daggers". I'm not blown away by this disc and it would need a little something more to really win me over, but they definitely write consistently solid songs and I think they have the tools at their disposal to be a little more creative should they so choose. The latter half of the disc is a little more interesting in my opinion, but fans of this general style should be into this because these guys don't fuck around. They come to rock, and rock they do.
[Smog Veil]
Running time - 34:48, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Bourbon Sprawl, Jesus Hates Cleveland, Manic Offensive, My Life is Shit (But Hey, Thanks for Asking)]
Amps II Eleven - http://www.amps2eleven.com
