An unpretentious, good time, get-to-the-front-and-go-mental hard rock album…
Review by David Waterfield
Release date: 4 September 2015
If you’re looking for pyrotechnics and flash then it’s probably best to look away now. However, if you’re in search of heads down, no nonsense, feel-good hard rock delivered with passion and attitude then Thundermother’s sophomore album Road Fever might be for you. The Swedish based band emerged last year with their impressive debut album Rock N Roll Disaster but Road Fever takes things up a notch. There is an organic, almost retro feel to this album – it was recorded on analogue equipment and almost totally live – but the no frills approach suits Thundermother’s style admirably. It captures the energy and vibrancy of the band and wisely doesn’t attempt to dampen their fire with overproduction.
The songs are stronger too and are custom built for a live environment. High octane opener ‘It’s Just A Tease’, powered by the dual guitar engine of Filippa Nassil and Giorgia Carteri, gets the album off to a terrific start whilst the rhythm section of Tilda Stenqvist and Linda Strom shine on the brief but punchy ‘FFWF’. There is a clear Motorhead influence on ‘Deal With The Devil’ whilst ‘Give Me Some Lights’ summons up the good times rock n roll vibe of Airbourne but for me the two strongest tracks on Road Fever come in the latter stages of the album when the band slows the tempo slightly. ‘Enemy’ is a classic slice of old school rock/metal in which Irish born vocalist Clare Cunningham lets rip over a rolling guitar riff, but arguably even better is ‘Thunder Machine’ which fuses a bluesy AC/DC-esque rhythm with a touch of Aerosmith swagger. Great stuff!
Packing ten tracks into just over half an hour Road Fever doesn’t mess about and by the time the anthemic ‘Rock n Roll Sisterhood’ concludes the album you want to go back to the start and play it over again (which I did!). There are no airs and graces with Thundermother – they’re a young band playing the music that they love and that comes through loud and clear on this album. Road Fever doesn’t attempt to be innovative or clever but as an unpretentious, good time, get-to-the-front-and-go-mental hard rock album it delivers in spades.
8 out of 10
Track Listing
- It’s Just A Tease
- FFWF
- Alright Alright
- Deal With The Devil
- Give Me Some Lights
- Roadkill
- Enemy
- Vagabond
- Thunder Machine
- Rock n Roll Sisterhood
