Doomsday Outlaw - Damaged Goods
Derby based rockers Doomsday Outlaw have, much as they set out to do, taken the potential of previous albums Suffer More (an album of contemporary swagger, groove and a touch of heavy southern blues rock) and Hard Times (a riff, groove & melody-driven offering that should have done more business) and raised their already impressive game on Damaged Goods.
In the can for some time (ah, those lockdown blues) and after a lengthy run of cancelled/ no gigs (see previous brackets) this is a welcome release, in both senses, for the band, their fans and new label Republic Of Music.
Nor does it hurt that it looks like RofM will be issuing re-worked releases of the aforementioned albums, giving them both a deserved, second hearing/ chance.
(There was an earlier album, Black River, but while it said Doomsday Outlaw on the cover its grunge metal-blues one dimensionality was a very different band).
The album’s delay means it also features previous members Steve Broughton (guitars) and John Willis (drums) alongside guitarist Alez De’Elia, bassist Indy Chanda (a driving force of the band’s sound) keys player Ryan Taylor and vocally impressive front man Phil Poole (who joined after Black River).
A deceptively rangy singer and the band’s secret weapon, Poole lyrically channels stories of his life, from heartbreak to redemption and, one suspects, a little of what Covid and Lockdown brought to the table.
(Hard rockin’ musical therapy – the perfect tonic for what ails ya).
Opener 'In Too Deep' lyrically raises the question of "broken promises" but there is nothing broken musically.
The song like the proverbial with treated sounds, a rock-hard groove, splashes of Hammond and some fluid guitar licks that give the number a sheen of defiance, as opposed to any in too deep doubt.
Following number 'On My Way' is a more lyrically upbeat proposition; a good time rock and roll song that’s akin to southern rock meeting The Faces.
On the subject of southern influences, there’s a distinct touch of Skynyrd in the mix this time around, typified by slow-build southern blues number 'If This is The End' (now there’s a blues title).
The song features one of Phil Poole’s best phrased and soulfully delivered vocals to date and tasty, song & vocal complementary guitar solo.
It also comes complete with clever/ cute "70s video" accompaniment...
In the can for some time (ah, those lockdown blues) and after a lengthy run of cancelled/ no gigs (see previous brackets) this is a welcome release, in both senses, for the band, their fans and new label Republic Of Music.
Nor does it hurt that it looks like RofM will be issuing re-worked releases of the aforementioned albums, giving them both a deserved, second hearing/ chance.
(There was an earlier album, Black River, but while it said Doomsday Outlaw on the cover its grunge metal-blues one dimensionality was a very different band).
The album’s delay means it also features previous members Steve Broughton (guitars) and John Willis (drums) alongside guitarist Alez De’Elia, bassist Indy Chanda (a driving force of the band’s sound) keys player Ryan Taylor and vocally impressive front man Phil Poole (who joined after Black River).
A deceptively rangy singer and the band’s secret weapon, Poole lyrically channels stories of his life, from heartbreak to redemption and, one suspects, a little of what Covid and Lockdown brought to the table.
(Hard rockin’ musical therapy – the perfect tonic for what ails ya).
Opener 'In Too Deep' lyrically raises the question of "broken promises" but there is nothing broken musically.
The song like the proverbial with treated sounds, a rock-hard groove, splashes of Hammond and some fluid guitar licks that give the number a sheen of defiance, as opposed to any in too deep doubt.
Following number 'On My Way' is a more lyrically upbeat proposition; a good time rock and roll song that’s akin to southern rock meeting The Faces.
On the subject of southern influences, there’s a distinct touch of Skynyrd in the mix this time around, typified by slow-build southern blues number 'If This is The End' (now there’s a blues title).
The song features one of Phil Poole’s best phrased and soulfully delivered vocals to date and tasty, song & vocal complementary guitar solo.
It also comes complete with clever/ cute "70s video" accompaniment...
'Turn Me Loose' ups the pace with a three-and-a-half minute splash of Stonesy/ Faces rock and roll before the thick guitars and mid-tempo muscle of 'You Make It Easy' returns to the Doomsday Outlaw sound of previous albums (and the sort of song Black Stone Cherry would like to have called their own).
Recent single 'Runaway' (one of five songs to be released prior to the album, which gives an idea of lead-in time to finally get it out the door) showcases the band’s ability to blend contemporary rock riffage with hooky AOR choruses (think latter-era Journey with added contemporary fizz and edge).
It's followed by the retro rock-blues of 'My Woman Comes On Strong,' which has Phil Poole doing a fair Glenn Hughes impression (the funkier mid-range tenor of Mr Hughes, not his Mariah Carey histrionics, thankfully).
'Nowhere left to Hide' is, like 'If This is The End,' a slower and contemplative southern-influenced hard-blues ballad (with another great vocal from Phil Poole); the country crossover rock of 'One More Sip' then adds yet another musical colour (Damaged Goods isn’t just the band’s best album to date, it’s their broadest scoped).
Nor does the album wane in the late going (genuinely no filler).
'It Never Gets Old' is big voiced, bluesy rock swagger of the highest order (intro’ing and outro’ing with short and swirling Hammond), which dovetails nicely with the southern, bluesy charm of gospel-rock number 'Walking The Line.'
Album closer 'The Little Things' (which cleverly references 'In Too Deep' lyrics) is a reflective ballad where less is definitely more (the understated guitar solo is the perfect foil); it also underlines the band’s ability and confidence to stretch much further than before.
Doomsday Outlaw have already received some notable plaudits (heavy rotation on Planet Rock playlists, critical praise from the established likes of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Introducing) but in comparison to other contemporary rock acts they still fly under the music radar.
That certainly deserves to change, because where Suffer More and Hard Times promised, Damaged Goods delivers. And then some.
Album and merch at: https://www.doomsdayoutlaw.com/store
Website: www.doomsdayoutlaw.com
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Recent single 'Runaway' (one of five songs to be released prior to the album, which gives an idea of lead-in time to finally get it out the door) showcases the band’s ability to blend contemporary rock riffage with hooky AOR choruses (think latter-era Journey with added contemporary fizz and edge).
It's followed by the retro rock-blues of 'My Woman Comes On Strong,' which has Phil Poole doing a fair Glenn Hughes impression (the funkier mid-range tenor of Mr Hughes, not his Mariah Carey histrionics, thankfully).
'Nowhere left to Hide' is, like 'If This is The End,' a slower and contemplative southern-influenced hard-blues ballad (with another great vocal from Phil Poole); the country crossover rock of 'One More Sip' then adds yet another musical colour (Damaged Goods isn’t just the band’s best album to date, it’s their broadest scoped).
Nor does the album wane in the late going (genuinely no filler).
'It Never Gets Old' is big voiced, bluesy rock swagger of the highest order (intro’ing and outro’ing with short and swirling Hammond), which dovetails nicely with the southern, bluesy charm of gospel-rock number 'Walking The Line.'
Album closer 'The Little Things' (which cleverly references 'In Too Deep' lyrics) is a reflective ballad where less is definitely more (the understated guitar solo is the perfect foil); it also underlines the band’s ability and confidence to stretch much further than before.
Doomsday Outlaw have already received some notable plaudits (heavy rotation on Planet Rock playlists, critical praise from the established likes of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Introducing) but in comparison to other contemporary rock acts they still fly under the music radar.
That certainly deserves to change, because where Suffer More and Hard Times promised, Damaged Goods delivers. And then some.
Album and merch at: https://www.doomsdayoutlaw.com/store
Website: www.doomsdayoutlaw.com
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ