Lawless: Rock Savage

With two members, drummer Neil Ogden and guitarist Paul Hume, from veteran UK rockers Demon, the guitarist from Persian Risk, Howie G and HeadrusH bassist Josh "Tabbie" Williams coming together, there's a fair bet that this quartet will serve up straight, honest UK rock and metal. The Lawless debut doesn't disappoint, however it does stretch that envelope a little, with a commercial 80s edge and a few more American rock flavours delivering a debut that oozes assured class and lasts long in the memory. Reinvent the wheel it does not, but present that round turny thing in shimmering style, it most certainly does.

Not content to provide granite slabs of rhythm guitar, Hume also steps up to the microphone to take on lead vocals and it has to be said he's a bit of a revelation. For a guy better known for playing guitar in one of the UK's longest established metal acts, Hume has an impressive range, rich vocal tone and a surprising yelp of power. He's nothing short of fantastic from start to finish on the cheesily titled Rock Savage, and if there's one thing that does slightly let down this otherwise stellar debtut effort, then it is the unintentionally cringe worthy song titles and lyrics, songs like "Heavy Metal Heaven", "Metal Time" or "Rock 'n' Roll City" holding no more lyrical gravitas than their names' suggest. However there's also no denying that the marriage of strident riffs, searing solos and thundering drums on all three tracks more than makes up for any shortcomings. In fact, when the music is this convincing, even I'm up for belting out choruses that run along the lines of "We're living in a heavy meal heaven!!!!". From start to finish Rock Savage does just that, romping in a way that most bands are too self conscious or pompous to even attempt these days, while in fairness tracks like "Misery" or "Where Heroes Fall" manage to have the same irresistible effect, while carrying a far more worthy lyrical message.

In terms of style the whole album has a brightness that you wouldn't necessarily associate with the member's other outfits, although things do skilfully range from commercial 80s metal to Sabbathy like doom, and Saxon-ish modern power metal to Gotthard like Euro pop-rock. That doesn't immediately make for the most obvious collection of sounds, but in practice there's little denying that the end results are pretty special.

One of the more surprising and unexpected line-ups and albums of 2013 so far, Lawless have released a cracking little debut in Rock Savage. For some it may well slip into the "guilty pleasure" category, but pleasurable it is and damned good fun too!

Track Listing
1. Heavy Metal Heaven
2. Black Widow Ladies
3. FOAD
4. Misery
5. SOS
6. Rock 'n' Roll City
7. Step In
8. Scream
9. Pretender
10. Where Heroes Fall
11. Metal Time

Added: August 3rd 2013
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Lawless Online
Hits: 2028
Language: english

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