DEBAUCHERY - review added 20th March 2009
Album Review: Rockers And War (2009)
For fans of: death metal... and AC/DC!
I really don't know what to make of this! It's the most utterly insane album I've come across in a very long time. It's both brilliant, and thoroughly dreadful, all at the same time. Apparently it's the result of a competition Debauchery held for their fans to decide what the next album should sound like...
Rockers And War starts off with 'There Is Only War'. It's a slow and throbbing, very heavy track that sounds like an intro... but then mutates into a death-inspired thrashy song with melodic keys in the background and the sort of drums you'd hear rattling out over a WW2 battlefield.
'Primordial Annihilator' is again ridiculously heavy. There are bundles of swine howls, breakneck beats and the pained screams of guitars in their death throws. It's all jolly good, although if you dislike death metal you really aren't going to like this.
'Honour And Courage', 'Savage Mortician', 'Killing Ground' and 'Wolves Of The North' all follow the same trail. The combination of sky-high bpm's and devil-inspired singing hints heavily at vintage Emperor, Morbid Angel and the like. Some of the choruses have a surprisingly catchy nature. This isn't music you'd play for your auntie; unless she was Marilyn Manson.
But...
Then '3 Riff Hit' starts. Imagine taking AC/DC and getting Bruce Dickinson to do a death metal growl over the top. It really is as odd as it sounds. Okay, it's actually a fun song to listen to, but's it's so bloody random after the first half of the album, that you kind of sit there dumbstruck.
Even more mental, the rest of the songs continue the trend. The first half may have been pure, and reasonably good death metal, but the second half is all about crazily drunk heavy rock 'n' roll. I'd have loved to have been at the meeting when they decided the album should work this way. I suspect there was A LOT of alcohol consumed that night!
The lyrics get more and more comedic as the album plays through as well. "All I need is a 3 riff hit," is fine, but then you move through the magic of "We like metal, and not Limp Bizkit," into the, er, something else of "She likes to roll, and she likes me and my big balls." The last song even features the riff from 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' by ABBA!
It's entertaining stuff, but equally it's categorically bonkers. This album needs locking in an asylum with a padded cell and 24 hour care.
Do I like it? Well, yes actually. I wouldn't describe it as the greatest musical masterpiece ever to grace this planet of ours, but you have to admire the sheer guts of these guys to release it. If you think you can cope with death metal and rock 'n' roll... all at the same time... give Rockers And War a spin. You'll be confused, but in a nice way.
Check out... Where to start...? Perhaps the transition between tracks 6 and 7!
Track List:
01. There Is Only War
02. Primordial Annihilator
03. Honour And Courage
04. Savage Mortician
05. Killing Ground
06. Wolves Of The North
07. 3 Riff Hit
08. New Rock
09. Hammer Of The Blood God
10. Demon Lady
11. Rocker
Label: AFM Records
Artist's websites: Debauchery , MySpace
