| CD REVIEW Black Rebel Motorcycle Club |
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Band : Black Rebel Motorcycle Club For a moment there, I was mistaken to think that Beat The Devil’s Tattoo was BRMC’s 5th full-length, and the follow-up to 2007’s Baby 81, a review for which by yours truly was posted on 28/05 of that year. Mistaken, because the trail of though was wrong! Since the release of Baby 81, drummer Nick Jago was given leave of absence by the other members (singer/ guitarist/ bassist & synth player Peter Hayes and singer/ guitarist/ bassist/ pianist Robert Levon Been) due to the fact that his heart and soul were at that moment much more in his own project than in BRMC, leading to his replacement by The Raveonettes’ lady drummer Leah Shapiro in June 2008. the band then set off on a European tour. Late October of the same year the band announced that they would release their 5th album, the completely instrumental The Effects Of 333,on an independent level through their own label Abstract Dragon. It became available as a digital download from the band’s official music store on November 1, 2008. That same month Vagrant Records released the Live DVD (recorded during the world tour for Baby 81 in Glasgow, Berlin, and Dublin). BRMC’s song “Done All Wrong” then made it into the soundtrack of the 2009 movie New Moon. Upon first listen of the album, I was rather surprised by the album opening title track, the music and vocal melodies I definitely know from back in the old days. I think, and mind the uncertainty factor here, I first hear the song as a semi-instrumental track from ‘70s Hard Rock band Strife. The track not only includes tribal drum playing, but also Navaho-like chants. That Native American influence also comes through elsewhere in this album, although rather diluted. Still there however, are the band’s wacky Psychedelic influences, which still justifies the band’s categorisation into the Shoegazer area of music! Well, I already kinda liked this band a lot before, and I daresay this new 13-track album (15 tracks if you happen to get yourself the limited – first? – edition, 14 if you download it from iTunes – got another bonus track, by the way) pleases me even more. Part of that certainly has to do with those couple of songs with ethnic influences, but also with the amazing closing track “Half-State, which lasts a stunning 10:21, and never bores for óne second! With the album already released for a while (see caption above) I can tell you that it’s highest position in the Billboard 200 was at #58. It obviously faired much better in the specialized charts: #14 in the US Rock Albums charts, #9 in the US Alternative Albums charts, and even #4 in the US Independent Albums charts! To et a whiff of the new material, check the samples of no less than 12 songs off the album at myspace.com/blackrebelmotorcycleclub (where you’ll also find full-length materiall off older albums). If that ain’t enough for you, check out the band on one of the shows they’ll be playing in Europe between now (early May) and the end of August (includes several festival appearances, including Belgium’s Pukkelpop on August 19). 93/100 Tony. |