HardReviews 4
by Martin Popoff
Lamont - Thunder Boogie
(Traktor7)For those bored with the slow boil of stoner rock, Lamont has the cure, blowing up a bunch of er, thunder boogie, which is a fancy pants way of saying that this is white hot, funky, nasty southern-injected metal like smart Nashville Pussy or the heaviest Foghat, Rick Derringer, Aerosmith, Pat Travers and Mountain songs, sent through a garage punk sausage grinder. It's a helluva blast, very rhythmic, snot-shouted, groovy and loud... one of the best of this bunch, because these are angular, circuitous, note-dense riffs that the band hang their drinking hats on, not some three chord windmill churn, basically thinking man's Motorhead versus Lemmy and Co.'s punk cred filler. Sorta like Clutch heat-treated and three-sheeted by redneck punk a' roll. Try this, and then after beer three, play Ted's Craveman opus... he'd like these guys. Wanted to dock a half point for brevity, but then it ended all too strong.
Rating 8Crash And Burn - Sick Again
(Traktor7)More characteristic redneck octane from Traktor7, Crash And Burn come on strong with their snarling punk drawl circa hair vocals (think Seahags, Dangerous Toys, GN'R, Hangmen), but come up short due to bare bones production, too much cymbal-fried bash, not enough grooves, not enough bass, and riffs to plain or rootsy, hangin' and hamstrung. I mean, if Lamont are the Ratt of redneck, these guys are perhaps the Twisted (half) Sister (fiancˇe)... or I guess, more accurately, Nashville Pussy without the blondes. Still, it's pretty convincing stuff, even if it's a little straight eight, a little close to garage rock, a little close to non-metalheads trying fast metal.
Rating 6.5
