POINT BLANK – Volume 9 (CD)

When the going gets tough, the tough keep on rockin’. Point Blank is one of the core units of high-class classic southern rock. They released the self-titled debut in 1976 and were handled by ZZ Top’s manager, Bill Ham. Especially their first two albums are still among my all-time favorite albums. The later releases were also good, but the southern rock had now become a bit more AOR-oriented. After the album American Excess in 1981, the band disappeared. Then, lo and behold, the southern rose rose again! I had the great pleasure of seeing the band’s return to the live stage in 2007 and it was my favorite shows of the year. The return album Reloaded came out the same year, and proved they could still deliver! The band has unfortunately lost some of its original members (R.I.P), but still they have now returned with another slab of southern steel! Singer John O’Daniel and guitarist Rusty Burns are still standing and they still deliver! Volume 9 features some serious rock hard rockers such as the instrumental opener Blast, Howling Wolf, Automobile, Johnny Dallas, Start The Car and To Be A Man, which show the band is still a force to be reckoned with. Point Blank have always included a few ballads that were on the verge of being a bit too pop or country for me, but they still work. This album is no exception, apart from Heart Of A Fool which is a bit over the edge for me, but it's most likely because of the sax (for some reason I just hate sax). Fans of southern rock – there’s no hesitating – get it and get it now!

Janne Stark

Label: Fairway Records

Country: USA

Year: 2014

POINT BLANK - Fight On! (CD)

Anybody remembers vintage southern rockers Point Blank? Yepp, thought so. After way too many years of absence they finally re-united and entered the stage of Sweden Rock Festival last year. When watching the band deliver classic rockers like “Uncle Ned”, “Bad Bees”, “Back In The Alley” and “Nasty Notions” my smile just wouldn’t stop growing. A tour followed and now the band has finally released a new studio album. My favourite period of the band was the first four albums; “Point Blank”, “Second Season”, “Airplay” and “The Hard Way” after which they became a bit too slick and mainstream for my liking. I’m happy to say the return of the southern gentlemen is closer to the early years than the later. Ok, it may not be as dirty and rough as the vintage stuff, but that also has to do with the recording qualities of today etc. The edge is still there in tracks like “Down Not Dead”, “Fight On!”, “Hit The Bottom”, “Deep Ellum Women”, “Out Of Darkness”, “Big White Horse”, “Undercover Lover” and “Short Stack Of Blues” (which makes it most of the tracks, right?), while they show the softer side in tracks like “Made Of Stone”, the sweet instrumental “My Soul Cries Out” with its great guitar harmonies and acoustic soloing and my least favourite on the album, the sugar sweet “Cold Day In Hell”. Even there are no riffs that give classics like “Uncle Ned” or “Nasty Notions” a run for their money, the song material is consistent and it’s really good. It’s an easy listening album, very melodic but still with a nice rough edge to it. It should appeal to both long lost fans and a new crowd of southern rock fans. It’s great to hear O’Daniel still sings southern rock the way it’s supposed to be sung. He still has enough cohones and bluesy feel to pull it off with pride. The same can be said about Rusty Burns guitar playing. He plays with the same conviction, feel and power as ever! Old guitarists don’t fade away they just get longer beards! A nice return from a band I had almost given up on!

/Janne Stark

Genre: Southern rock

Label: Dixie Frog

Country: USA

Year: 2009

Website: http://www.pointblanksouthernrock.com/