Turn it up to 11
One of the coolest things about this site being nearly three years old is that we are watching bands grow and make good on their promise.
So it is with Argentina’s 42 Decibel. Back in September 2015 we reviewed their “Rolling In Town” record and said this: “to be perfectly honest, whether you like “Rolling Into Town” will depend on two things. First, whether you like Bon Scott era Acca Dacca and second, whether you buy into the fact that this bunch of of reprobates aren’t playing this to be cool, or original, but just ‘cos they want to. Christ, one of them calls himself Billy Bob, and that makes them just fine in our book.”
Fast forward 18 months and we are tempted to leave it there again, because like their heroes 42 Decibel have basically decided that they’ve hit on a sound and they are perfectly happy with that.
“Overloaded” believes there are merely two sorts of music. There is rock and there is roll and they couldn’t care less for trends.
You can almost hear the liquor flowing on the tumultuous opener “Whiskey Joint” and to insult singer Junior Figueroa by saying that he sounds like the late great Bon on “Dangerous Mess” would be to insult him by assuming he wasn’t aware.
He is. Everyone is. And no one cares.
Instead, everyone here is merrily looking to get in whatever trouble they can. On the fabulously laid back and drunk sounding “Brawler” that is quite a lot, while on the bluesy “Roadkiller” they strut in the most cocksure way you can possibly imagine.
“Hot Shot” sounds dirty and if it leaves the bar before you then well done, and the million miles an hour almost punk rock stomp of “Half Face Dead” is solely designed to be played live. And you can bet your last beer that 42 Decibel are at their best on stage.
It’s the glorious simplicity that grabs you by the balls here and won’t let go. “Lost Case” is nothing more and nothing less than 12-bar blues from the bar room, “Cause Damage” is the sound of the swamp if that swamp was filled with whiskey, and “Double Itch Blues” slows things down sufficiently to do the same thing basically over seven minutes – and what on earth these boys did to go get a double itch then we probably ain’t gonna speculate.
Ten songs – as all great rock n roll albums should be – it ends pretty much how it’s been all the way through, with “Cannon Fodder” and its undercurrent of violence, beer and sex.
And if that doesn’t sound very original, then that’s because it’s not. But there’s a reason 42 Decibel are ace and it’s because they don’t care. They wanted to make the music they loved. And on “Overloaded” they’ve done it again.
Rating 8/10
