Review Summary: As vintage as it can possibly get.
In covering for the contemporary underground scene with reference to ‘70s vintage/doom/stoner rock for the Hellenic Metal Hammer January 2012 issue, long time HMH contributor Vasilis Zaharopoulos wrote in his column (for the record, the column is titled “Sub Terra” and it has separate sections for extreme and “classic” heavy metal as well) that with the advent of the internet, the dissemination of information have now become much more rapid and mysterious than in before, forcing obscure bands to reach their audience, albeit with little means available. Indeed, it is really interesting to track down isolated cases of bands gradually migrating from utter obscurity to an ever growing acclaim. In the case at hand, obscure vintage rockers Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats and their awesome debut album
Vol. 1, were warmly heralded firstly within the internet and the physical world underground and then the rock/metal mainstream. The highly esteemed Classic Rock Magazine took notice of the band’s potential and included the song “Witches Garden” in one of its monthly CD compilations. As if this wasn’t enough, the band’s debut impressed Leif Edling (of Candlemass fame) who recommended the band to Lee Dorian and Rise Above Records. The label offered the band a limited record deal for a second album, titled
Blood Lust, an album that appears to have all that it takes to become one of the contemporary classics of the occult/doom rock revival.
Uncle Acid’s and Co.’s debut was an eight-way span towards ‘60s-to-‘70s glam rock, blues influenced psychedelic jams and occult doom rock. In
Blood Lust, the band is reducing the first two musical trends to a minimum, to focus on occult doom rock, whose basic guidelines were so aptly devised in the first two Black Sabbath records. The handful of songs in
Blood Lust are dressed with a sound production that can easily serve as a standard for vintage rock. Arrangements and structures from song to song are differentiated enough, so as to maintain the listener’s interest and the high record replay value intact. The record’s well preserved diversity is firstly evident in the rhythm section of Red (drums) and Kat (bass). While its time signatures can fluctuate superbly (“I Will Cut You Down”, “I’m Here To Kill You”), the rhythm section excellently adjusts its speed within the occult doom rock perspective, so as to sound either wonderfully upbeat (“Over and Over Again”, “13 Candles”) or eerily doom-tempo (“Death’s Door”, “Withered Hand Of Evil”). Having such a firm rhythm section to back him up, Uncle Acid is jamming those eternal heavy rock riffs with sheer conviction, making them sound as if they were invented in 2011 and in this release. In addition, he sets up some really inspired, blues or rock n’ roll driven, double lead guitar or keyboard soloing wherever they are needed. Through his soothing vocals he invokes a satanic revolution, as the lyrics feel like they have been ripped off ‘70s occult b movies, where the build up of a dreadful atmosphere was more important than the quality of the actual plot.
In closing, the second album from Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats is as vintage as it can possibly get. Uncle Acid and Co. prove that they are not a one record wonder, as they wisely use the occult rock legacy that peaked in the first half of the ’70s, to their benefit. Except for managing to forge a unique identity of its own, while being different from its predecessor,
Blood Lust has all it takes to get the band to the next level. Which is to get an even better record deal than that with Rise Above, as the 350 copies of
Blood Lust are too little in quantity to ease the ever increasing thirst for this band.
