PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Swiss Rockers deliver a trump card with this killer album.
I must admit, a certain description I came across of the band, namely “ a mix of AC/DC, Airbourne and Motorhead…” got my eyebrow a twitching, more with incredulous disbelief than anything else. However, I can definitely see the sense in the description, DC riffs a plenty, mixed with a hard edge slug of the ’Head are all there to be seen and heard and executed really well.
Opener ’Back In Town’ kicks things off with an intro that smacks of DC’s ’Let’s Get It Up’, so much so that I did, before moving the tempo up a notch to party mode and even finding time to dust down the old Tambourine for good effect as well. ’Free Fire Me’ leans towards the Lemmy end of the spectrum in terms of pace but still holds on to that room trashing party vibe. The whole album in fact is a raucous affair, track after track of beer swilling, whiskey guzzling, jump up and down, pillow fighting good time Rock ’N’ Roll, rarely slowing down to draw breath.
Formed in Switzerland in 2009, the band have thrown out a few demos and a debut album (Check, Raise Or Fall) before arriving at this point in proceedings, so have had time to bed themselves in and gain a live following after some intensive gigging. Also, I get the sense that whilst they are a band that like to party, they have their heads firmly screwed on, the ethos seeming to be one of no frills, no fancy stuff, just heads down and play and that is surely the way it should be right?
The vocal performance of all four members is excellent, coming across as gritty and earthy but still melodic. The guitar sound, of course is predominately riff based and driven but is not adverse to throwing in the odd killer solo now and again, whilst the bass lines and drum sound provide the perfect bedrock from which to build and build.
Production wise the whole sound is stripped down to basics, giving that real, live in your living room feel that is just pure gold when done properly and this is. The dirty ’From North To South’ for example sounds like it could have been done in a couple of takes only, such is the raw feeling that comes through the speakers. Likewise, ’We Don’t Give A Damn’, with its riff straight off ‘Ace Of Spades’, has the same feel, all making for a real kick ass album that will have you dancing from now until Christmas.
In short, if you love DC, Airbourne, ’77, Motorhead and others, then you’ll lap this up, one of the best ’good time’ records of the year without doubt.
Track Listing;
1. Back In Town
2. Free Fire Me
3. Last Highway
4. Get Dead On The Road
5. Independence Day
6. Goddamn Wrong
7. From North To South
8. We Don’t Give A Damn
9. Pancake Girl
10. T.I.N.A.
11. Sleep When You Die
Ass Of Spades are;
Sergio – Drums, Vocals
Pascal – Vocals, Guitars
Peter – Vocals, Guitars
Javier – Bass, Vocals
Out now via Heimathome Records
https://www.facebook.com/assofspades
http://heimathomerecords.blogspot.ch/
