The deadly 8-legged Aussie rock-monster that’s not for the faint-hearted…
On 22 April 2016, Earache took Allan Jones somewhere, but let’s not talk about that…
Ask most people about Australia, and people will often mention the wide variety of deadly flora and fauna: crocodiles, spiders, snakes, lizards, drop bears… It’s a pretty big list. Well, now we get to add Massive to the list of Australian things that will hurt you, although in this case it’ll be your ear drums taking the damage and it’ll only kill you if you turn the volume up too loud.
Okay, it was a pretty tenuous link. I’ll give you that one. However, they do describe themselves as ‘a deadly 8-legged Aussie rock-monster that isn’t for the faint-hearted,’ so you can blame them. It’ll be pretty much the only thing you’ll blame them for, though, while you’re listening to the album. From the needle-crackling blues breaks through to the sunset-strip style guitar solos, this is a band that are pretty much hell-bent on staking the claim to be the next big thing.
There’s enough variation through the tracks to keep things interesting – there’s quick and dirty hard rock drive with the likes of ‘Up In Smoke’, quieter old-school blues with ‘Beaten Dog’, 50’s inspired rock ’n’ roll in ‘The Way It’s Always Been’, and the more metal riffage of ‘The Fall.’ They’re generally at their best when they cut loose, as in ‘Blood Money Blues’ though – you immediately get mental images of foot-on-the-monitor solos and fans blowing hair everywhere, and it’s a fun ride with added bonus points for the gratuitous cowbell too.
Sure, it’s full of the usual clichéd sort of stuff that you’ve heard before, but it’s delivered with tons of energy and a good sense of fun about the whole thing – and no small amount of ability, either. There’s a sense that the band are exploring, working hard to find something that’s uniquely and distinctively their own to take them to that next level. For me, they’ve not quite managed to carve out their own little niche yet, but they’ve definitely got groove and ability and they’ve definitely got the songs so it’s going to happen. In the meanwhile, they’ve put down a marker. Destination Somewhere? More like destined for big things, and soon.
8 out of 10
Track List:
- One For The Road
- Blood Money Blues
- Sinking Ship
- The Fall
- Made of Stone
- Destination Somewhere
- Up in Smoke
- Circus
- The Way It’s Always Been
- Beaten Dog
