The Devil In California - This Is Not For You (5 track CD EP)

After an outstanding debut album, which made you wonder if and how these American heavy southern rockers would be able to follow it up, they are back again. The band’s new 5-track EP ”This Is Not For You” proves these boys sure have more goodies of the same style, sound and quality to offer. Actually, it’s four tracks and a short spoken intro. After the intro, ”Push It Along” kicks off with some wah-guitar, leading into a heavy, groovy, riff rocker. They remind me a bit of Black Water Rising (who unfortunately haven’t managed to maintain the magic of their debut). ”As The Crow Flies” starts off with a short slide intro, then immediately kicks into groove mode. Heavy, chunky and relentless, with a short soft interlude, where singer Anthony Malson stretches his vocals a bit more than he usually does, before the chorus kicks in. Killer stuff indeed! ”Elsewhere” keeps the groove going with the precision of an old steam locomotive, with an added bluesy touch. The EP finishes, way too soon, with ”The Storm”, which starts out quite soft and unpredictable, until the band kicks in high gear, but only for a short moment. I really love the dry and in-your-face mix, where it sounds like the guitar is right next to you. Quite a different track, quite ambient, with a mix of soft and heavy parts weaving into each other. My only complaint would be that it starts out like there will be a great, bluesy guitar solo, but after just a few starting licks it ends. All in all a kick-ass EP, that gives me great hope for a new full length album. If you’re into bands like Black Water Rising, (early) Texas Hippie Coalition, Preacher Stone etc, check the out!!

Janne Stark

Country: USA

Year: 2017

Label: self-released

TRANSPORT LEAGUE – Boogie From Hell (CD)

It’s been over ten years since the band’s previous album Multiple Organ Harvest. So has the power weakened, or are they still a force to be reckoned with? Time to check out this Boogie From Hell then. Suck me sideways!! This album is really a musical kick in the joint! Swing Satanic Swing starts off with a punch in the nose and continues like a steamroller with its power-stomp! This is brutal! Transport League has always been a Swedish institution of powerful metal, but I think I may have really re-discovered this Gothenburg foursome on this album. The sound is like a ton of bricks, with Roberto Laghi providing his usual powerful mix! The songs are really groovy for being so heavy, which really makes the title appropriate. Tony is a vocal power plant with a brutal, throaty, raspy voice that fits the music like a glove. He sounds a bit like James Richard Anderson of Texas Hippie Coalition on steroids. What I really love is that it’s not just chord-crunching, but lots of cool heavy riffs being thrown around. I also hear a strong southern touch, which may interest fans of bands like Hell Yeah, THD and Anti-Mortem. This is a bloody great album, indeed!

Janne Stark

Label: Metalville

Year: 2014

Country: Sweden

REBEL ROAD – Lock & Load (CD)

When it comes to bands, even though we are a small country, Sweden offers a multitude of metal genres and subgenres. One genre that however is sadly under-represented is in your face down and dirty southern rock! There are only a few out there, one being the outstanding Killbilly 5ers, but apart from them, it’s very quiet. Well, hello Rebel Road! I actually knew of guitarist Ulrich Seppenen since his days in the highly underrated band Straightjackets. Here he also handles the vocals, proving he’s an excellent rough edged down and dirty southern style singer. His voice fits perfectly to the equally down and dirty, heavy and powerful southern rock riffing. Rebel Road fit in somewhere in-between today’s Texas Hippie Coalition and classic Blackfoot/Hatchet. It’s not too modern, yet doesn’t sound dated and they’ve still got the classic groove. A killer album, highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Year: 2014

Label: Rambo Music

Country: Sweden

BLISTER BRIGADE – To Serve And Punish (CD)

This is another band I discovered at the excellent Rock Out Wild festival in Sweden. Blister Brigade made a great live impression with their energetic, bluesy, sleazy and slightly southern rawk oriented ballsy hard rock. Actually, that’s exactly what you get on “To Serve And Punish”, a big dose of biker infused ballsy hard rock! The singer reminds me a bit of Ola of The Killbilly 5’ers, which is really good in my book! Blister Brigade should appeal to fans of bands like Swedish colleagues Rebel Road and The Killbilly 5’ers as well as bands like Texas Hippie Coalition and classic eighties sleaze. Fat and nice production, great playing and catchy songs make a great combination!

Janne Stark

Label: Sliptrick

Country: Sweden

Year: 2013

Link: www.blisterbrigade.com

THE KILLBILLY 5'ERS - Welcome To Town – Now Get The Hell Out (CD)

I heard about this country rock band from some friends and even though I’m a big fan of southern rock, the word country doesn’t sit well with me. When I finally checked the band out, I was totally blown away! Man, this was no washed up Waylon Jennings copies, these boys rock!! I recently discovered the band Texas Hippie Coalition, and I immediately compared The Killbilly 5’Ers to THC. However, where I found the latter fell a bit short on the consistency of the songs, KB5 don’t. The album kicks off with the rocking stomper Burn Down The Trailer Park and continues with the up-tempo rocker Up Shit Creek. The band’s strengths are many, from the killer dual lead work from benders Wincent Persson (ex-Violent Work Of Art) and Ola Af Trampe (Grand Illusion, Code) to the vocal strength of Ola “Alo” Karlsson. The rhythm section featuring bass player Daniel Tegnvallius and drummer B-O Kjellsson keeps the wagon swinging and swaying. The mix is heavy, yet dynamic. The guitars are heavy and detuned, but they also leave some space for acoustic additions such as in steamroller rockers Tupelo. Another bass-crushing rocker is entitled All Fed Up, and the vocals here reminds me a bit of early Volbeat with its stompy rhythm. A cool heavy rocker, indeed! Speaking of cool rockers, another driving “can’t sit still when hearing this”, is I Don’t Know What It Is (But I Want It), which I suspect will go down great live. Humor is another nice ingredient in the band’s songs, not only with titles like A Dick And A Douche, but listen to the stonkin’ No Bull and it’s guitar licks. Awesome! The album ends on another high note – Good Thing I’m Bad. I honestly can’t find a weak song on the album. The band manages to be consistent, yet keep it fresh and new twists and turns on the same heavy, down and dirty country-sih heavy riff rock. If you’re into bands like Texas Hippie Coalition, Hogjaw or Preacher Stone, lend these Swedish southern rockers your ears!
Janne Stark
Country: Sweden
Year: 2012
Label: private