Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
Dominion, an arid, infertile landscape where mesas and buttes rise in geomorphic defiance above the erg. Clouds of fine rock particles are borne upon dessicant, anhydrous airs; the figure, entirely clad in tones of obsidian and onyx, strides forward. He knows his heading; he know his desires.
He stops, he’s arrived. Tapping his snakeskin boots with his ivory-handled cane the moment has been attained. Silk shirt unbuttoned to his waist, the figure looks up. Reflected in his mirrored shades is a musical quadrumvirate. He nods knowingly, internally observing that he is about to hear the big machine roar.
The quartet step forward, musical sisters about to deliver new material; their deliverance of mercy to an awaiting, expectant audience. The first powerful chords are struck and the driving rhythm commences.
The figure’s facial expressions turn to rage; this isn’t the dark, industrial current he had foreseen. This is bright, beautiful, shiny multi-hued riffs and beats full of joy and summer; the figure is incandescent with rage. An iridescent flash of highly-charged light and all that remains is those snakeskin boots; gently smoking. Green shoots begin to push upwards from the desert floor.
The band shrug their collective shoulders and continue apace; their unbridled euphoria matched by their electrifying dynamism.
There’s simultaneously a comfortable familiarity afoot but with an expansion of the overall sound. There’s the hard punching, backs-to-the-wall heavy rock of The Amorettes combined with the spiky, punk-edged Australian rock of Tequila Mockingbyrd all wrapped in a Lita Ford / Runaways sort of packaging.
Hardly surprising as 50% of the purveyors of this glorious tie-dyed rock n’ roll are lead guitarist / vocalist Gill Montgomery (The Amorettes) and drummer / backing vocals Josie O’Toole (Tequila Mockingbyrd). Alongside these two incendiary musicians are the equally stellar talents of rhythm guitarist Laurie Buchanan (Aaron Buchanan & The Cult Classics and bassist Lzi Hayes; the former an intregal keystone of the original joining of forces of Gill and Josie back in 2019.
It’s fantastic to see new material coming forth under a new banner – this is most certainly a super-group of talent from within the grassroots rock scene; far too good to be kept under wraps.
From the catchy hooks of the harmonies to the twin six-strong solo midsong, with touches of Thin Lizzy, there is so much to like here. Heck it brings life to the desert itself. Hot Damn indeed!
Around the band there’s colour and vibrant life; the sand of the desert is being reclaimed. A vibrant ebullience that brings life to dormancy. The figure reappears; a familiar silhouette but barefooted and now vividly attired in wide array of colours. Tie-dye rock n’ roll has conquered.
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