REVIEW: VERMILION WHISKEY – SPIRIT OF TRADITION (2017)

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Times are hard. Here’s the damn cure

This might be a bold statement, but it just might be correct.

Ready? Here it is.

There might never have been a bad Southern Rock album. Ever.

MV doesn’t care whether you talk about ZZ Top or Skynyrd, Drive By Truckers or Blackberry Smoke – indeed any of the million bands that do this stuff everywhere around the world. There is something about a downtuned whiskey soaked riff that just sounds right. Every single time.

Lucky then, that there’s another band to add to the pile. Coming straight outta South Louisiana are Vermilion Whiskey, and brother, they rule.

They understand the history of what they do – the album title is surely a nod to that after all – but the six songs here are quite, quite brilliant and thoroughly fresh.

Coming at things – basically – from the standpoint that the only three albums a man ever needed were Clutch’s “From Beale St To Oblivion”, Corrosion of Conformity’s “Wiseblood” and Black Sabbath’s debut, they are heavier than some of their peers, but a more entertaining six songs you will not hear.

It swings from the cheap seats from the off. There’s something genuinely gleeful and mischievous about the opening riff to “Road King” which is backed up by its first line: “my mama used to say turn the music down/but every time she’d walk away I’d turn it way up loud.” There is blue collar work ethic here which is even before you consider the fact that Thaddeus Riordan (and the award for the best first name of the week goes to…) is perfect for the music and the fuzzy guitar work of Ross Brown and Carl Stephens is second to none.

The immense riffery of “The Past Is Dead” shows a darker side, while “Come Find Me” builds itself on the back of an incredible bass groove from Jeremy Foret, which probably registers on the Richter Scale. If that’s the highlight of the record then it is only one amongst many.

Elsewhere, “Monolith” is well named as it is just an enormous beast that is not to be constrained. “I’m no longer taking names – but I’m kicking some ass” spits Riordan in a way that suggests you had better not question him on this idea.

“One Night” gets as many bonus points as it wants for starting with a guitar solo and adds a touch of boogie to things, and “Loaded Up” is very much their “Clean My Wounds” moment if you will. Meaty, chunky, and with a punkish element to the lyrics, “when you wake up,” suggests its hook line “I’ll already be gone”.  To cause trouble somewhere else, no doubt and do it exceptionally well.

In the spirit of tradition this may be, but dirty, grimy, southern rock n roll does not sound better than this at any point.

Rating 9/10

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