Wellborn Road - Pain Hate Redemption Straight away with opener, 'New Found Life' you can hear a mix of classic metal with a healthy dose of the modern turn of metal. There is a huge Metallica influence musically with Scott Emanis having a very Hetfield grizzled voice morphing in to Corey Taylor and guitars very Dimebag like. The title track finds the music heading in to Black Label territory with plenty of those Zakk Wylde licks and southern rock feel while still incorporating plenty of thrash energy. Some of the breakdowns and particularly the closing few seconds is going to be prime chaos inducing pit music. In to the third song and the tone moves heavily in to Alice in Chains, the vocal style has shifted again and while the guitar throws out some some nice hooks it is impossible not to feel that this band needs to find something to make them stand out individually. Already I have mentioned plenty of of bands and people they sound like but there is just not enough that makes them unique, there seems to be too much in relying on influence than forging their own sound and path. Don't get me wrong, the songs are good, the change from the heavy double bass dominated to the slower 'Left Behind' shows there is a lot of variety that can be called upon and 'With Broken Wings' is a great song. There is potential for Wellborn Road, they just need to find that spark to make themselves stand out from the shadows of their influences which are too obvious. AN
Red Kate - When the Troubles Come If you want an album that is going to grab you by the balls and not let go while they repeatedly slam you against a wall then Red Kate are just the band for you. From the dirty blues drenched riff that opens the album, launching in to 'Union Voice' this band have got a groove and passion and it is impossible not to be swept up right along with it through the superb rockabilly solo and the raw tempos that shred all around it. The pace doesn't slow on 'Pink Sweater' a song that has moments of Queens of the Stone Age springing to mind but with far more aggression and attitude. There are so many elements coursing through the veins of this album, 50's rock n roll, punk, rockabilly, blues and plenty of country which, given that the band are from Kansas City is probably not a surprise. With all these different elements it would be easy to see how this could end up being a muddle of an album, there is not a hint of it though. It is focused and tight while maintaining a loose, band jamming in the bar kind of vibe. A browse through the lyrics also tells you the sort of band you hear, politically charged, working class attitudes are very prevalent but while bands such as Dead Kennedys would make you feel that the music was a primarily a platform for getting their message across, Red Kate feel as though they are having a great deal of fun with this at the same time as getting their message out there. This is a great album, give it a listen and you may well find a new favourite band. AN