Straight up rock n roll and it’s ace too
We live in a world where albums arrive in the MV inbox proclaiming that they are “post progressive hardcore.” “Blackened Thrash” and a favourite recently, “happycore”.
Maybe I’m getting old. I dunno, but wouldn’t it be great to listen to some straight up, totally unpretentious rock n roll again? Happily, help is at hand. The likes of Dirty Thrills, King Creature, RavenEye and myriad others are forming some kind of new breed of great hard rockers, and to that list you can put the name Wicked Stone squarely towards the top of the list.
Wicked Stone formed just a couple of years ago, their most notable member thus far might be drummer Olly Smith who spent time touring the world opening for Iron Maiden as a member of the Lauren Harris band, but the cocksure attitude here suggests that is going to change pretty soon.
Happy to get down and dirty, “Another Round” begins with the lyrics: “kicking back, drinking Jack, yeah it’s going down.” But this is not some kind of rehash of Poison from 1986, instead it’s a modern hard rock album that is not about to apologise to anyone for enjoying itself.
It helps, of course, when you start things with a song as good as “Ain’t No Rest” which slams its way through the door, raids your drinks cabinet, invites its mates around and makes itself at home before you’ve blinked.
With that the boys are off and running, “One Time” kicks in with a downright filthy riff, James Forrister and Ryan Stageman on guitars do a fine job and ensure this packs a major punch. “Hit It N Quit It” sounds like their manifesto and, like everything else here, you can sing the hook before the end.
A clever thing about the album is that there are no real gaps between the songs, adding to the feeling of urgency and electricity. On that basis songs just keep coming at you. “Get In Or Get Out” has a touch of the groove of Clutch about it, and “Slide Baby” is absolutely dirty blues.
There is a hint of the first Skid Row album about this given that you suspect that these boys could find trouble anywhere. “Rattleshake” is unashamed and kinda funky, while “Sick In Love” perhaps says more about WS than anything else does. In other hands, this would be a ballad. This isn’t the place for such sentiment. Instead, this, like the other nine, is set to overdrive.
All of which means there really ain’t no rest as this hurtles to the finish. “The End” is the sort of arena friendly rocker that the likes of Heaven’s Basement used to write, while “Set Me On Fire” kicks in with the sort of riff that bands only manage if they a) have confidence by the bucket load and b) are bang in form.
On “Ain’t No Rest” Wicked Stone show that brashness, if you will, is well placed, because there is every reason to think that they are only merely getting started here – and it looks like being quite a ride.
Rating 8/10
