Reviews roundup – Outlaws ~ Walking Across Jupiter ~ Felix Rabin ~ Angelsharkx ~ Black Sand ~ Wild Rabbit Salad
OUTLAWS
Dixie Highway
Steamhammer / SPV
It’s always a bit iffy when bands from the olden days plod on without any original members. You know who I’m talking about Molly. But much like Deep Purple (the) Outlaws still have their original drummer for authenticity. Although at least guitarist and vocalist Henry Paul was their for their first few albums during his come and go time with the band.
It’s been eight years since the post Hughie Thomasson version of the band released an album. That was the patchy “It’s About Pride”. Since then we’ve had the “Legacy Live” album and now this.
After the tribute to the fallen musicians of southern rock on ‘Southern Rock Will Never Die’, I had to check what was going on as they launched into the country rock of ‘Heavenly Blues’, one of my favourite tunes on their 1977 “Hurry Sundown” album. WTF. For whatever reason it’s here and seems rather odd. But in the main this is a lot better than “It’s About Pride”. Henry Paul, who leads the band these days, seems to have put his country hits with Blackhawk to one side and got on with making an Outlaws record. Which is tricky with four former Blackhawk members in the band. So, yes, there is a lot of country rock. But they also boogie and jam, which was what made the original Outlaws my favourite of all the southern rock bands.
The title track is a perfect example of how they could riff with the best of them without losing sight of the melody. Paul still sounds the same as he did back in the day, which is a good thing, although one of the best songs, ‘Dark Horse Run’ has (I assume – there are no credits with the promo) Dave Robbins singing lead. There’s a cracking instrumental in the shape of ‘Showdown’, another self referring southern rock tribute on ‘Macon Memories’ and they’ve found an old demo from the seventies to link back to the original band. That’s ‘Windy City’s Blue’, which late bass player Frank O’Keefe wrote nearly fifty years ago and which brings things full circle.
It’s a helluva lot better than I expected it to be and even if nothing will match the first three Outlaws albums this sits happily in their catalogue as a record well worth hearing.
WALKING ACROSS JUPITER
Sane
independent
I really enjoyed “Oneiroid” when it came out, as Walking Across Jupiter mixed up some prog and math metal to good effect.
It’s very much a one band with leader and composer Alexander Valitov bringing in session support as needed. He’s also almost done away with the vocals completely. Whereas the last record was split between vocal and instrumental tracks this one is 99% instrumental. I don’t know whether that’s a deliberate choice or whether the departure of vocalist Nikita Valamin spurred that on. But so mote it be.
So, how are things over in St. Petersburg, Russia? All rather good as he certainly knows how to compose striking material. It also veers quite dramatically between metal tinged prog and out and out prog. Which means you never quite know what to expect. And that’s how it should be in what needs to be an experimental genre. After all there is nothing duller than a predictable prog metal album. Yes, here’s the keyboard flourish, eight bars and we’ll be into the guitar solo. Yawn. None of that here.
There’s a lot of great material but the best is saved for last on ‘Secret World’ parts 1 and 2 which are probably the proggiest moments on the album and are an absolute joy to listen to.
It’s always interesting and fans of harder edged prog should definitely be checking this out.
https://walkingacrossjupiter.bandcamp.com
FELIX RABIN
Pogboy
independent
He’s working hard at this, is French-born, Swiss residing Félix Rabin. Non stop gigging, UK tours opening for Wishbone Ash and (currently) Samantha Fish, he’s certainly putting the hours in. Which is as it should be.
So is he blues rock, classic rock, or something completely different? Well his guitar work is pretty standard blues rock but the music veers between classic rock and even pop rock. That would be ‘Moving On’ which has Radio 2 airplay written all over it. It’s a good song and if he can get himself heard with a Richard Marx like tune and vocal and accompanying horn section then good luck to him.
That’s the most soulful he gets and on the funky ‘Say (You Won’t Leave Me) he finds a sweet spot that will appeal to the whole gamut of modern blues rock fans. It’s the album highlight and the kind of thing that gets me reaching into my dark and dusty Scotch wallet to pony up for a full album. But across the six tracks on offer here he shows that the has the talent to make a place for himself in the music world. His guitar work is exemplary. Take a listen to some of the things he gets up to on ‘Angels’. It’s ridiculous. There is not a duff track on offer here and even if he doesn’t have the strongest vocals he gets by.
An invigorating debut.
No official video but here’s the opening track to the EP live.
ANGELSHARKX
Nevermind The Helldogs
independent
Decisions, decisions. What’s worst? The band name or the album name. It’s a tricky one.
Anyway, the music. It’s actually alright. Vocalist Jazzmine H has a rough and ready voice that really suits the, um, rough and ready music whilst guitarist and shark attack survivor Matt Sunday certainly knows how to riff.
For sure, there are a couple of songs where it sounds like it’s been recorded at the wrong end of a wind tunnel and Mr Sunday should stick to guitaring rather than singing some of the songs but there is a scuzzy edge to the Berlin based duo that catches your attention. And when that clatters into a top quality riff as happens on ‘I Got The Devil To Pay’ and a couple of others then they conjure up a sound that is definitely worth listening to. There’s a Supersuckers / AC/DC / Motorhead feel to some of the songs that works really well and if a decent producer were to get to grips with them then things could happen.
It could do with a couple of tracks being trimmed off as the music isn’t hugely diverse but if they keep on coming up with riffs like ‘Motorcycle Jesus’ then who knows.
BLACK SAND
Brand New Start
independent
I’ve had a few encounters with Black Sand over the years and they’ve always been pleasant. Granted, their soft rock sound is about forty years too late but they know their way round a good melody.
It hasn’t helped that Richard Pfanzeiter has never managed to hold on to the same musicians for two records running and I notice that fellow founder Walter Weber is missing from the credits this time around. There’s a new singer in the shape of M. Nox who already has a day job with US modern metallers Living Dead Stars so I’m guessing that actually having a band isn’t a top priority! In fact I’ve just realised that I was in the next room from Mr Nox a couple of weeks back when Anvil were in town. Small world and all that.
In the studio legendary guitarist Jennifer Batten popped in to lay down some very tasty guitars on the latest set of tunes. And if you’re good enough for Jeff Beck then you’re good enough for me. Although what did happen to her?. The new personnel seem to have brought a slightly harder edge to the material and they’re know more in the vein of classic eighties AOR than before. Something that suits me down to the ground and which would have made ‘Tell Me Why’ a massive radio hit back in the day. You don’t get bad songs from Black Sand and this latest release is no exception. Chuck in a Barclay James Harvest cover and what more do you want.
Fans of classic melodic rock will find a lot to enjoy here and hopefully the studio lineup might bring a few new folks along for the ride.
WILD RABBIT SALAD
Trouble in Town
Regi Music
Well this is an interesting one. It’s basically a country album. Although nowadays I believe the kids would label it Americana and it’s the fourth album from Texas based duo Wild Rabbit Salad.
That’s not a name you’re likely to forget as vocalist Marietta Roebuck and guitarist / vocalist Bucky Goldberg set about drawing you into their world. And you’ll want to go there as they mix the deadly serious and the frivolous with equal aplomb. So if you can deal with the dichotomy of ‘Everybody Loves My Hat’ (take the damn thing off, then!) sitting next to ‘Killing Flood In Houston’ then you’ll probably do fine.
They each take solo leads as well as duetting and they’re both really good. It’s nearly all originals bar a couple of Townes Van Zandt covers, which gives you an idea of where they place themselves on the spectrum. Some of the music is downright gorgeous especially when Madeline Herdeman pops up on cello. Take a listen to ‘Lying’ and tell me if I’m, um, lying. Then they throw in one of those fabulous country storytelling songs (think ‘He Drinks Tequila’) in the shape of ‘Four Days Sober’. I’m guessing the album sequencing took place prior to that.
They can do deadly serious, they can do laugh out funny but wherever you drop the needle it’s just downright good.
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