Review Summary: "A death metal cigarette with a rock 'n roll filter."
We could argue all day about the validity of death 'n roll. If we see it as a modern genre that carries as much weight as death metal or thrash, carrying aspects of both, we have to admit that its most influential stalwarts have done one of three things: gone different directions, only include it in the footnotes, or are just plain terrible. From Entombed (AD? )'s new frankly pathetic direction, Six Feet Under's weak death metal combo, Avatar's glammed- and gothed-up hints, Carcass' melodic death interpretation, Carcharadon's sludgy attempts, Black Breath's crunchy grindcore, to Phazm's blackened shredding, the purest attempts at this style are buried deep in the underground. The dim torchbearers of this style remain firmly among groups such as Helltrain, Death Breath, Horrific, Gorefest, and, the topic of today's review, Sweden's very own The Generals.
To be fair, it could be argued that The Generals' attempt at death 'n roll is at its core mimicry of Wolverine Blues, but I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy every minute of this mockingbird's ridiculous screaming. "Stand Up Straight" is the fourpiece's debut album, and its power lies in its simplicity. It's not album that relies on melodic leads or complex technicality, but rather its brief bone-crunching attack: riff after riff of infectious crunchy grooves, shredding solos, solid drumming, vicious vocals, and a badass attitude. No song exceeds 4 minutes, and the majority sit comfortably in the 3 minute mark, so although the tracklist racks it up to 12, no song overstays its welcome.
From the manic speed of opener "Blessing in Disguise", the thrashy solos of "The Offer Still Stands", the southern rock-inspired intro riff of "The Illusionist", the hard rock breakdown of "One Eye Red", the infectious one-two punch of "Trunkride", to the sludgy feedback of closer "Do It Like the Devil", the product is sloppy, grimy, and ***ing fantastic.
Death 'n roll is thriving just below the surface, and bands such as The Generals carry a very underrated torch. If you're looking for a solid death 'n roll album, or you're just simply craving a veritable sonic concussion, look no further.
