BOMBAY BLACK – Bullets And Booze (2012)
*
Sooner or later, the listening world is going to have to realize that BOMBAY BLACK is simply one of the best bands on the planet making Hard Rock today.
Their prior releases — Mercy, Anger Management, Psycho Magnet and Love You to Death — all reveled in the band’s ability to write snarky, funny, heavy and extremely melodic anthems.
None of that has changed on the new studio album “Bullets And Booze”, it’s just all better than anything they’ve recorded or written thus far.
One of Bombay Black’s biggest draws is the way that singer/guitarist Erik Johnson delivers his vocals and the powerful melodies emanating from the twin guitars.
On the opening track, “Queen Of Denial”, it’s all there to wallow in. Drummer Rob McCauley also firmly plants his brand on this track, pummeling along at a fevered and deft pace. A kick-ass hard rockin’ tune setting the tone of the rock and roll ride that awaits.
A ride that follows on a train, with “Rock ‘n Roll Pain Train”, a groovy melodic hard rocker full of Bombay Black’s trademark harmony vocals.
“Helluva Time” is a funny rocker with a sticky riff which attempts to answer the age old question ‘What happened last night?’. Really cool.
The album has a more ‘modern’ approach in places, as with the broken riff that kicks “All The Same In The Dark” into life.
This CD contains some utterly acerbic lyrics as well but still manages to capture a band that can spit out the hooks and hit with really great choruses. Lyrically, the songs revisit the X-rated underbelly of human existence time and time again: with a focus and ferocity that rarely strays from booze (as the album title indicates), ladies and having a good time.
“Bad Boy” is a good example of this band’s catchiness. If you want to hear exactly how to write a hooky chorus, this is how you do it.
Talking about catchy tunes, Bombay is so varied that they’re able to deliver an almost hair-metal track on “The One You Love”, complete with cowbel and a scorching guitar solo.
Bombay Black can rock you even with the ballads, as “Let Me Be”, depite its melodic and vocal layered chorus, exudes a R ‘n R vibe all over.
This Arkansas quartet rocks like no-one with their unique Hard Rock style.
“Bullets And Booze” brings a fully loaded metal jacket of soul baring, kick-ass material to rock your socks off, that is proudly anchored in the foundations of traditional Hard Rock songwriting.
We have fifteen killer rockin’ tunes with giant guitar driven monster riffs served up on a bed of nasty grooves, with soaring melodic vocals and big hooks.
If you already know Bombay Black, “Bullets And Booze” is everything you expect from the band, but it also has a few new tricks to let you know the band is still evolving.
If you never heard of ’em, wait no more.
Highly Recommended.
01 – Queen Of Denial
02 – Rock ‘n Roll Pain Train
03 – Helluva Time
04 – All The Same In The Dark
05 – Bad Boy
06 – Honey Lemon Kisses
07 – No Room For Emotion
08 – Let Me Be
09 – Love Like This
10 – Dragon Tattoo
11 – Bullets And Booze
12 – Take Another Picture
13 – The One You Love
14 – That’s The Way It Is (At A Rock ‘n Roll Show)
15 – One Single Drop
Erik Johnson – Lead Vocals, Guitar
‘Devil Jim’ Perry – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Ty Sims – Bass, Vocals
Rob McCauley – Drums, Percussion, Vocals
BUY IT !
bombayblackmerch.com/collections/all/products/bullets-and-booze
