Burnt Out Wreck - This Is Hell
With second album This Is Hell Burn Out Wreck have delivered a classic rock influenced case of If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it – just tighten it up a little, make it stronger and solidify a rock swaggering sound that comes with a big slice of AC/DC styled rhythmic attitude.
Additionally, while band and debut album Swallow were born through a flurry of songwriting from ex Heavy Pettin’ drummer turned big-voiced front man Gary Moat (aided and abetted by lead guitarist Adrian Dunn; the rest of the band (Alex Carmichael - bass, Paul Gray - drums, Miles Goodman - rhythm guitar) coming in post Swallow) This is Hell is the two and a half years on, full-blown Burnt Out Wreck in weightier, slightly edgier and darker action (the album title being a hint in that direction).
Not that the edgier or darker tones come calling immediately.
Album opener and lead-off single 'Dead Or Alive' is a riff driven, old school rock 'n’ roller that will rawk on stage as well as it rolls on rock radio (given the airplay chance); following number 'Positive' is cut from the same mid-tempo, song swaggering mould as was successfully set on Swallow (it’s also the grower of the album, with a deceptively hooky chorus).
The wonderfully titled 'Paddywack' (of Nick Nack fame, which forms the chorus, albeit with a very different "shaking that thing" storyline – the children’s song this ain’t) is a rockingly fun but overly-long number, leading to a loss of impetus (the bring-it-down section toward song’s end helps break the song up but it’s a five-and-a-half minute track in six-and-a-half minute clothing).
The darker tones start to emerge mid album with 'Headfuck' ("Baby, can’t you tell? You make my life a fucking living hell!).
An edgier rock number, the guitars unite on the thick riff of 'Headfuck' while vocally Gary Moat gives it the full Bon on the vocal sneers and snarls that sit between the riffs.
Mention of Bon Scott leads to the threaded 70s AC/DC influences but with 'Guitars Electrified' (a "rock this place" written to be played live number) you have, frankly, a song you can’t believe Let There Be Rock era AC/DC didn’t do first, right down to the little guitar licks and remarks that sit behind the final chorus.
Similarly influenced is the title tack, another dark slice of Burnt Out Wreck and one of the album’s best songs. It carries the rhythmic vibe and big 4/4 beat of mid-tempo AC/DC but This is all Gary Moat and BOW’s Hell, driven down their own rock Highway.
Every earthy, old school, non pc guitar-rock band needs a song called 'Rock Hard Sticky Sweet' but, like 'Pullin' It Out' from Swallow it’s open to lyrical interpretation (it might well be about having a craving for Rock Candy sticks at night, but I doubt it).
A nice change of contrasting pace follows in the shape of the bluesy (and slightly southern, y’all) 'Just a Dog' before 'Snow Falls Down' closes out the album in fine, if perhaps unexpected, style.
A great song with a hook chorus that dovetails perfectly with the grittier framework of the verses, 'Snow Falls Down' is a lyrically layered trip back to younger days of winter drinks with your mates when "the Penthouse was the place to be" (Glasgow rock fans of an age raise your ghost of glasses past) followed by snowball fights on the way home, all while the "world just keeps on singing…"
This Is Hell could be categorised as an angry album but it’s probably more accurate to see it, or rather hear it, as a need-to-get-this-out-my-system statement from Gary Moat (there’s a personally framed lyrical release across at least half the numbers).
And while there is no denying the Bon Scott era AC/DC influences This Is Hell ain’t a bad place to be in that kind of company.
It’s also, more simply, a bloody good album from a bloody good band.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Additionally, while band and debut album Swallow were born through a flurry of songwriting from ex Heavy Pettin’ drummer turned big-voiced front man Gary Moat (aided and abetted by lead guitarist Adrian Dunn; the rest of the band (Alex Carmichael - bass, Paul Gray - drums, Miles Goodman - rhythm guitar) coming in post Swallow) This is Hell is the two and a half years on, full-blown Burnt Out Wreck in weightier, slightly edgier and darker action (the album title being a hint in that direction).
Not that the edgier or darker tones come calling immediately.
Album opener and lead-off single 'Dead Or Alive' is a riff driven, old school rock 'n’ roller that will rawk on stage as well as it rolls on rock radio (given the airplay chance); following number 'Positive' is cut from the same mid-tempo, song swaggering mould as was successfully set on Swallow (it’s also the grower of the album, with a deceptively hooky chorus).
The wonderfully titled 'Paddywack' (of Nick Nack fame, which forms the chorus, albeit with a very different "shaking that thing" storyline – the children’s song this ain’t) is a rockingly fun but overly-long number, leading to a loss of impetus (the bring-it-down section toward song’s end helps break the song up but it’s a five-and-a-half minute track in six-and-a-half minute clothing).
The darker tones start to emerge mid album with 'Headfuck' ("Baby, can’t you tell? You make my life a fucking living hell!).
An edgier rock number, the guitars unite on the thick riff of 'Headfuck' while vocally Gary Moat gives it the full Bon on the vocal sneers and snarls that sit between the riffs.
Mention of Bon Scott leads to the threaded 70s AC/DC influences but with 'Guitars Electrified' (a "rock this place" written to be played live number) you have, frankly, a song you can’t believe Let There Be Rock era AC/DC didn’t do first, right down to the little guitar licks and remarks that sit behind the final chorus.
Similarly influenced is the title tack, another dark slice of Burnt Out Wreck and one of the album’s best songs. It carries the rhythmic vibe and big 4/4 beat of mid-tempo AC/DC but This is all Gary Moat and BOW’s Hell, driven down their own rock Highway.
Every earthy, old school, non pc guitar-rock band needs a song called 'Rock Hard Sticky Sweet' but, like 'Pullin' It Out' from Swallow it’s open to lyrical interpretation (it might well be about having a craving for Rock Candy sticks at night, but I doubt it).
A nice change of contrasting pace follows in the shape of the bluesy (and slightly southern, y’all) 'Just a Dog' before 'Snow Falls Down' closes out the album in fine, if perhaps unexpected, style.
A great song with a hook chorus that dovetails perfectly with the grittier framework of the verses, 'Snow Falls Down' is a lyrically layered trip back to younger days of winter drinks with your mates when "the Penthouse was the place to be" (Glasgow rock fans of an age raise your ghost of glasses past) followed by snowball fights on the way home, all while the "world just keeps on singing…"
This Is Hell could be categorised as an angry album but it’s probably more accurate to see it, or rather hear it, as a need-to-get-this-out-my-system statement from Gary Moat (there’s a personally framed lyrical release across at least half the numbers).
And while there is no denying the Bon Scott era AC/DC influences This Is Hell ain’t a bad place to be in that kind of company.
It’s also, more simply, a bloody good album from a bloody good band.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ