Motherload 9/10
Black And Blue Record Label: Fully Loaded
Released: 17 June 2013
Highlight of the album: Beg For It Website: http://www.motherloadrock.com Reviewer: Jon Seymour
This is the debut from this classic rock quartet, and it’s an absolute belter. It comes right at you, lips curled and teeth bared. This is real powerful rock music, with no subtlety at all, and no messing around. This is an album that just gets down to business, and you’re left in no doubt as to its intentions, and that’s primarily to make your eardrums bleed, and your head shake violently.
Musically, this is middle of the road stuff in terms of style, but brilliant in execution. The songs are well crafted, and you can hear the building blocks slotting in to place as you listen. What’s more is that it’s all done at a relentless pace. There’s no breathing room when listening to this and it’ll keep you coming back for more. It’s definitely addictive, and it’ll stir something inside of you for sure.
The music has a really thick sound, and it really benefits from being played loud. In fact I’d say you need to play it loud to get the best from it. The production is excellent, and everything fits together exactly as it should. Vocally it’s raw and powerful, and the singer has an incredible voice. It sounds like he’s been gargling with wet concrete and tarmac, and the end result is full of grit and gravel. In fact he reminds me a lot of Ricky Warwick at times, but a little higher on the vocal register.
This album is nothing new in terms of genre defining, as there’s a huge amount of music out there in this particular style, but there’s honestly not that much that’s as good. This really is an impressive debut, and if their live shows have as much energy as is conveyed through this album, then anyone that goes to see them is going to be well rewarded. Does the world need another classic rock band? My answer is, if they’re as good as Motherload a really big ‘Oh Hell yeah!’
Airbourne 9/10
Black Dog Barking Record Label: Roadrunner Records
Released: 20 May 2013
Highlight of the album: Live It Up Website: http://www.airbournerock.com/ Reviewer: Lee Walker
So Australia’s second largest musical export return with a third album, doing what they do best, playing good old fashioned rock’n’roll.
AC/DC sound-alikes they might be, their music might not be the most technical out there and they will never be fashionable, but what they lack for with that they more than make up for with their carefree Sticking to the tried and tested formulae that has rock’n’roll attitude and sounds and with summer taken them this far, Joel and the boys continue upon us it’s time to fire up the BBQ, crack open a where they left off in 2010 with another collection of cold one and play this album the way it should be balls out, guitar driven rock ‘n’ fkn roll. played - loud. Opening track ‘Ready To Rock’ leads the way in this latest instalment and comes bursting out of your speakers like a bullet from a gun, setting the scene for the rest of the album, with tracks such as ‘Animalize’, ‘Live It Up’, and the Killer Dwarfesque ‘Back In The Game’ continue to fly the flag high in the land where fast paced guitar work, macho lyrics and rock attitude are the order of business.
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Firebrand Magazine