What’s the 4-1-1?
Former Rollins Band drummer Jason Mackenroth comes out from behind the kit for his debut solo album in which he plays drums, rhythm guitar, and handles vocals.
Genre
Rock and Roll / blues rock / punk / hard rock
The Good
“Welcome Wasted Again” starts things off driving power chords that give way to pounding drums and comfortable rhythms. Jason’s vocal delivery falls somewhere between punk rock wail, and scruffy rock journeyman. Rapid-fire drums and a galloping lick set the pace for “Going for the Thrill," as Jason and his cohorts take you on a wild rock and roll ride through his adopted hometown. “Mystified” focuses on the inevitable break-up of Mackenroth’s previous band Mother Superior. The guitar tones and voice inflections really display his pain and disappointment.
“Torn in Two” is full of pure rock rhythms and changes. The lyrics don’t cause you to over think either. Lead guitarist John Kuker really shines during his simple, yet compelling solo on this blues-based track. “Wild Hot Wind” has a nice southern rock bounce to it and keeps the energy flowing from start to finish. “Dry County Shakedown” has the kind of guitar riff that will stick in your head for days. Jason recalls a run in with the Police down south while he was hanging with MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. “3’Some” is an all our punk assault with high speed rhythms and machine gun drums. The song revolves around a couple of notorious California groupies.
The Bad
A very minor negative is that the production quality is not great, but that’s expected with self-released material.
The Verdict
This CD was ten times better than I expected, based on its bare-bones packaging. Jason Mackenroth delivers a straight-up rock record with punk rock sensibilities on his debut solo album. Each song gives you a personal perspective of Jason’s life and experiences, which turn out to be interesting, funny, and sometimes sad.
Did You Know?
Jason Mackenroth has collaborated with funk music legend George Clinton for an as-yet-unreleased project.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Originally posted by author at Rock-Is-Life.com
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