2013
Can't get enough death n' roll? Well then how about trying Jesus Chrüsler Supercar on for size? Sure, the name might be a little too close for comfort for some of us "older" folks as it does bring up thoughts of old punk rock veterans Jesus Chrysler ("This Year's Savior" being a full-blown classic of old-school punk/hardcore), but when you're rocking outfit blends the sounds of Entombed and Motörhead so effectively you're bound to get a pass. What's more the group was somehow able to rope in Entombed frontman LG Petrov as a guest vocalist for the songs "Before I Turn You Down" and "Death Row Blues". Yes, you get extra points for that any day of the week my friends! Right off the bat it's worth noting that this 3-piece hails from Sweden. Why does that matter? Well, it changes the discussion some as Sweden seems to have the market concerned these days on all things hip and rock n' roll. It's something in the water I swear. With this act it's not just the blending of Entombed and Motörhead that keeps this one "Living after midnight, rockin' 'til the dawn..." (although that would be more then enough one would assume) as other groups do stop by to play. Here and there touches of Black Sabbath, Slayer, Gwar and The Hellacopters can be picked out if you really listen between the lines. Blended together it all makes for some lovely metal chaos from a band that (in a good way) takes garage metal to a whole different level. The group is lead by bassist/vocalist Robban Bergeskans and features Fredde Larsson on guitars & vocals and Nicke Forsberg on drums. While their originality isn't likely to keep you awake at night, as death n' roll is already at a point where there's too many so-so bands muddying the water (and this release does not come across as an entirely ground-breaking album anyway), there's little chance of denying the appeal that this group holds. Thanks to their enthusiasm, care-free attitude and songs that require zero effort to get down and rock out to (yes, this album flat out rocks in places!) it's easy to overlook how much of this you've heard before. The truth is sometimes style and substance (and the ability to write damn catchy death n' roll) is more important then whether or not you've suddenly stumbled upon a new aspect of heavy metal. So yeah, the fun mix-up of styles and sounds that you're likely to hear on here "Among The Ruins And Desolate Lands", as well as the fact that you could conceivably do some thrash metal dancing to this album, trumps everything else. With it's subtle, and yet somehow very effective production, (all of which came courtesy of Tomas Skogsberg who, for what it's worth, is said to have influenced the sound of groups like Entombed, The Hellacopters and The Backyard Babies), "Among The Ruins And Desolate Lands" ends up being one of those albums that you can sit back and enjoy without having to invest much energy or effect. Be warned though that it is going to make you want to get up and move (or slam dance if you will) so while it might not require an investment on your part to listen to this album it could end up getting you more worked up then you ever planned to be!
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