Review Summary: High octane groovy hard rock…
The Atomic Bitchwax have been one reliable band over the course of their almost 30-year career (akin to Brant Bjork or Fu Manchu). Constantly blasting high octane rockers, each album caters to stoner/hard rock fans in general. The instrumental affair,
The Local Fuzz allowed them to level up their chemistry, focusing on strengthening the interplay. As a result, by the time
Gravitron saw the light of day in 2015, the New Jersey trio audibly leveled up, becoming a really tight unit. Five years later,
Scorpio finds the group firing on all cylinders once more. The LP has a richer production than
Force Field and Monster Magnet’s guitar player, Garrett Sweeney took Ryan Finn’s place, ensuring none of the trademark muscle gets lost in the process. As expected, you are being rammed by powerful riffs, coupled with Chris Kosnik’s urgent vocals. Cuts such as ‘Ninja’, ‘Crash’ & ‘Super Sonic’ feature pounding drums over soaring guitar and bass lines. Meanwhile, the title track’s dirty, swinging groove is downright infectious. Same goes for the mid-tempo beats of ‘Energy’ and ‘Easy Action’, acting as smooth counterparts maintaining the party vibe while leaving some room to breathe too. Surrounded by punchy verses, both display catchy choruses, augmented by fitting background vocals. Also, ‘You Got It’ boasts early Eagles of Death Metal style riffs, hand claps and a refreshing carefree attitude. As a treat for longtime fans, the guys included a re-recording of ‘Hope You Die’ off the 1999 self-titled debut. The sound is clearer and helps pack the necessary punch the rest of the album has. The Atomic Bitchwax haven’t changed much as they continue to deliver gritty groove rock that is simply entertaining. Few bands in the genre come up with such potent music after multiple decades of activity.
