Dictator Ship – Your Favourites album review.

Swedish band Dictator Ship have signed to Sign Records and are set to release their debut album Your Favorites on the 17th April 2020.  It is a short and fast slab of 21st Century Scandinavian Rock n Roll with more than a few nods to early 70’s American garage.

The sound of crashing drums introduces opener In The Heat Of The Night.  It has a bluesy vibe with a classic rock vocal; the whole track is reminiscent of the band Gillan with hints of Deep Purple and Whitesnake.  This is followed by Savage, which gives a better representation of Dictator Ship’s overall sound. Its charming melodic brief midsection has vocal harmonies and laid back southern guitar nestled between contrasting MC5 bookends of fast, frantic galloping scuzz.

It is with Good Thing Gone Bad that the music and attitude come together to form a clear identity.  This is the sound of hanging around street corners, up to no good. With bursts of wild guitar and an instrumental rockabilly midsection, it has a raw rock n roll swagger.  Just For Fun has a pure garage sound.  The offbeat drumming makes for interesting timings.  Soulful vocals harmonise while the guitar screams; it is indeed fun.

The jewel of the album is Eat The Poor.  It’s soulful glam meets New York garage is reminiscent of the first Kiss album.  It sounds like an amalgamation of Deuce, Strutter, Cold Gin and Kissing Time, the drumming style is even identical to Peter Criss.  It has a truly great rock n roll riff and brings the sound right back to basics.

Gunner Man starts by wearing its rhythm and blues heart on its sleeve before progressing into sweaty pub rock.  The vocals are reminiscent of Paul Di’anno and returns to a similar sound to the beginning of the album.  Listening to Gunner Man makes you want to be in a pub with people dancing, and plenty of beer being consumed and spilt.  Album closer From The Womb To The Tomb continues on with the beer soaked soulful hard rock.  It has the deepest vocal on the album and a gothabilly riff.  An unusual cross between Tank, Rival Sons, The Hellacopters and Turbonegro, it is a fine way to conclude the album.

Dictator Ship are authentic.  What makes Your Favorites work is the relative short running time and the frenzied garage guitar that separates the classic rock core.  Soulful moments in-between hard rock and blues, all with a street attitude.

Tracklist:
1. In The Heat of the Night
2. Savage
3. Good Thing Gone Bad
4. Just for Fun
5. Eat the Poor
6. Gunner Man
7. From the Womb to the Tomb

Line-up:
Petter Heinemann – Vocals and Guitar
John Sijbren Leonard – Vocals and Guitar
Viktor Henriksson – Vocals and Drums
David Ericsson – Vocals and Bass

https://dictator-ship.bandcamp.com/album/your-favorites

https://www.facebook.com/dictatorship/