This week’s column is a collection of albums that didn’t thrill me at first. They all took some time to sink in, some more successfully than others.
Christian Mistress: Agony & Opium
This is a fascinating and rather cool mash-up of Doro Pesch fronting Motorhead. If you like Headgirl, that get together of Motorhead and Girlschool, you will just love this. Motorhead-like metal combined with scratchy female vocals delivered with lots of oomph. Those too young to remember that great single could consider this some straight-ahead, garage rock. There are times when it strikes a bit Die So Fluid, which is not bad thing.
This album does not necessarily grab you at first. Honestly, it’s a slow burn. At first it's like meh, but the sheer attitude and angst of the tracks grow on you. I found myself going back to the beginning to give another chance, which was well rewarded. This album shows a band with so much damn prescence.
This is old school garage heavy rock, it could come from the UK or US. It's that back to roots stuff that just oozes everything that rock and roll should. Lemmy should take these guys on the road, a perfect fit.
Heart: Red Velvet Car
To be honest, this really doesn’t fit this column. They are so far gone from their hard rock roots it ain’t funny. This is far more Lovemongers, their post-Heart, that it is anything you know and love from Heart. If it was anything but Heart you would find the introspective navel-gazing a bit twee. The concepts on the album are hardly original: fame and bitching about it and lost friends.
But then again this is Heart, when Ann kicks it into gear her voice lets you know this ain’t you normal navel gazing album. Her voice trascends the mundane and adds gravitas to anything she sings. She could sing the freaking phone book and we would listen.
There are no real songs that jump out and grab you. There is nothing really catchy on here, no obvious singles, nothing immediate and impressive. Then again I don’t think the Wilson sisters give a damn. They are doing what they love: playing music, and if no one else likes it they don’t give a rat’s arse.
If you like the Wilson sisters and respect where they want to take you, give this a go. If you expect to be blown away by rocking goodness, this might not be the CD for you. Not that it will matter to their fans or the band, but I actually rather enjoy this CD. Once you get past the reality of what is, it’s a great driving release that is perfect for windows down driving.
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