With this being my first sit-down powwow with Audrey Horne, it’s pretty evident where these aural historians are coming from; Blackout is where 70’s Pub Rock meets the meaty maul of the NWOBHM, delivering a melody driven battle royal of old school influences. Opener “This Is War” soldiers along steady Eddie, bringing a battle tested Iron Maiden gallop to the fore while frequent homages to Thin Lizzy (“This One”, “California”, “Rose Alley”) are the kind of harmony laden Irish Car Bombs that you can almost picture Phil Lynott’s smooth delivery taking to another level. The straight ahead stomp of “Audrevolution” is a more contemporary Alt. Rock jam that showcases Audrey Horne channeling a stripped down version of The Killers, while perhaps exploring a more natural comfort zone. “Naysayer” could easily be confused for some up tempo (yet polished) Diamondhead track circa 1980; the kinda throat jab Metallica would’ve probably covered on Garage Days Revisited. The main drawback to Blackout is that it feels a little too on the nose as a loose tribute album instead of a band coming up with a grand gesture that has their own stamp to it. It’s a fun ride of catchy Hard Rock nostalgia but just not quite bridging the gap from “very good” to “excellent”.
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