WARRIOR SOUL - Back On The Lash
December 19, 2017, 6 years ago
(Livewire)
Cigarettes, drugs and a stint in trouble haven't done anything to Kory Clarke's raspy shout. Makes Bon Scott/Brian Johnson sound like Pavarotti! When many singers would say their voice is roached/blown out, it's merely warming up for this Detroit free spirit. Honestly haven't kept up with Kory much after the initial Space Age Playboys and Trouble efforts, but at the dawn of the ‘90s, he was a favorite interview, seeing the band nearly a dozen times and our backstage socio-political chats frequently lasted two hours.
The latest eight tracks (opening 1:45 “American Idol” is just an intro, a play on the TV show, as Clarke is the antithesis of everything for which that plastic world stands) are not as caustic (lyrically nor musically) as the radical material from 'Back-In-The Day', preferring shorter, more melodic constructs. The lone exception is the (autobiographical), five minute “I Get Fucked Up”, not only the album's lengthiest cut, cut one of just two exceeding Roger Bannister's record breaking time. The amped up 50s rocker takes a shot at “country club assholes”. As the album title and cover art (Kory holding a pint) suggest, lyrically, we've got paeans to irresponsibility, be it the praise for a cornucopia of pharmaceuticals or reckless behaviors like strip clubs and driving under the influence. Dirty sounding hard rock, with a bit of old school fuzz, Clarke's voice is way up in the mix. The title selection is a simple, repetitive ditty, with cowbell and flash of guitar, ala Buckcherry. A heavy, yet bouncy “Thrill Seeker” recalls the best moments of Monster Magnet. Mid-tempo 4/4 “Going Broke” is almost entirely comprised of lyric “Going broke, getting high.” A night at the bar, each drink enumerated, is recounted in bass/drum driven “Black Out” It all ends with “That How We Roll”, a vintage slice of Detroit noise, like MC5 or Iggy & The Stooges.
Welcome back. Good to know you're still alive, old buddy!