THE POODLES - review added 10th November 2010
Live Album Review: No Quarter (Live) (2010)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and dogs with suspicious haircuts
The Poodles - these days Jakob Samuel on vocals, Pontus Egberg on bass, Henrik Bergqvist on guitars, and Christian Lundqvist on drums - surprisingly only released their debut album "Metal Will Stand Tall" in 2006. It's a surprise because they are so well established in the scene they seem to have been around a lot longer than that.
The "No Quarter" CD, and accompanying DVD, was recorded in 2009 and marks the band's move to a new record-label-home Frontiers. A brand new studio album will follow in due course, but this marks their debut with the Italian label.
Although The Poodles are invariably brilliant on their LPs, there's little doubt they are first and foremost a live act. They have played hundreds of shows since their inception alongside many other big names. I haven't had the pleasure of catching them yet, but such is the energy and style of this band it wouldn't surprise me if they blew everyone else they played with off the stage.
Jakob Samuel's infectious enthusiasm for the music comes across brilliantly, and the musicianship is as tight as leggings on a hippo. The song list is well chosen, although some of the better tracks from the debut like 'Rockstar' are missing. The only real problem with this release is that it's so good it's close in quality, but not quite as good as the studio albums...and it doesn't quite capture the unrelenting energy of a full live show. But, saying that, I'm really having to go looking for flaws in this release.
In summation...
You are better off with the studio albums, or catching The Poodles live (in reality), but this is still a great release and a must-have for anyone who fancies a piece of The Poodles.
Check out... All of it, and their studio albums...and the band actually live...
Track List:
01. Too Much Of Everything
02. Caroline
03. Seven Seas
04. Metal Will Stand Tall
05. Like No Tomorrow
06. One Out Of Ten
07. Lullaby For Jimmy
08. Drum Solo
09. Echoes From The Past
10. Thunderball
11. I Rule The Night
12. Night Of Passion
13. Flesh & Blood
14. Line Of Fire
Label: Frontiers Records
Artist's website(s): The Poodles | MySpace | Facebook
