Mind Noise Network
Defy All Reason -
The Road Ahead
by Luke Athorn - 23 April 2015
Defy All Reason specialise in good-time Southern rock n roll combined with moments of glam and sleaze fresh from LA’s Sunset Strip. Think Black Stone Cherry meets Steel Panther without the crude lyrics.
The album begins with a few seconds of locomotive noise, after which we are greeted with a sweet riff straight from the 80’s, and so the feel-good, blues-tinged onslaught begins. What we have here is exactly what you would expect from an album in this genre – tonnes of killer riffs. Gutsy, almost arrogant vocals. Ballads. The band even find time to cover the 1986 Bon Jovi classic Wanted Dead or Alive, which for my money is a masterstroke.
Lead single Bad Blood and I run are the stand out tracks here. I run in particular makes me want to fish out my denim jacket and rock out with my wife’s hairbrush; something last achieved by the Guns N Roses classic ‘Appetite For Destruction.’
Guitarist Darren Jones explained recently that the band “wanted to give bang for buck with this album,” and he is pretty much on the money here. There is plenty of bang to be found on The Road Ahead, but it’s tender where it needs to be too – Finding My Way Back To You, and The Only One are more chilled out affairs and show that the band have more than just one dimension.
What’s more, this record sounds fantastic, which is testament to the mixing skills of drummer Todd Edwards, but perhaps it has more to do with the fact that it was mastered by Pete Maher, whose credits include U2, The Killers and Jack White amongst others. Nice.
In short, Defy All Reason might just be the best thing to come out of Wrexham since, well… ever. It’s not re-inventing the wheel, but it is a damn good album and a solid debut - well worth an investment.
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