This is absolute killer hard blues rock with a hint of everything thrown in for good measure. The band hail from the land down under, and I came across this whilst trawling the t’internet for something new. My preference for listening to music (other than Van Halen and other killer rock bands) would be instrumental guitar music with a hard edge and plenty of soloing and riffs. I would describe this album as my perfect listen as it ticks all the boxes and hits all the spots for me.
The first track (ironically titled) The Opener, has a real heavy blues vibe with a hint of Hendrix – but on steroids. Funky Desert Rider does what it says on the tin. The Final Absturz has a heavy fusion at the start with a serious groove and some killer playing. Visceral Circles Of The Cosmos starts with a killer jazz drum and bass and then builds into this heavy monster groove. Great track! Side 1 closes out with The Eternal Search For The Alpha Jellyfish, which is up there with great song titles.
Side 2 kicks off with Lean Kathleen’s Killing Machine, and sees the tempo increase somewhat. I love the slow down in the middle eight and the solo is epic! The Dragon Slayed The Princess takes the tempo and the vibe down several notches and showcases the gentler side of Damian’s playing – until that wicked jazz groove dives in and there is one monster evil riff toward the end of the song. Sleazeball follows with a slow jazz funk riff, and then boom, and off we go! Jump Rope With Electric Wires closes out the album with a huge bang. A fast choppy riff and groove drive the song along – there is some serious playing in this track.
Shout out to the killer rhythm section of Michael Posch on drums and Matthias Wieser on bass who lay down a great background for Damian to lay some great playing on. I really love this album.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
