Blessed Hellride “Bastards and Outlaws” review (by Droll)

BLESSED HELLRIDE “Bastards & Outlaws”
Rodeostar / SPV

There always were bands that chanting about such eternal values like alcohol, fighting, bars and bike riding. There are, and they will always be. They never chasing fashion and never tried to wonder by musical techniques. Just played their hard music with some southern taste (nod to the bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, fathers of the genre) and sang with soaked with beer and whiskey throats about their lives –  booze, fights and bikes. No matter which country the band was formed,  spirit of that life is similar everywhere.

Blessed Hellride was formed in 2010, at German Trier. Five man – Tiny Fuel (vocals), Jack Stoned (guitars), Oos (guitars), El Fritto (bass) and Captain (drums) – between booze, bar fights and many live performances, recorded two EP: Evil Side Of Life (2010) and Booze N Roll (2013). And now their first LP – Bastards and Outlaws.

Just want to start with what not in the album. There is no pretentious instrument onanism. If there is guitar riff, it will be heavy. Solos are shrill. Vocals compete with guitars in heaviness, and rhythm-section will nail the songs into listener’s head with every drums hit and every bass-guitar note. Nothing excess. Music is heavy, uncompromising and the most important – it honest. Sound engineer’s François Dediste can be heared, but there is no feeling that every note was licked million times by army of musicmakers. Only one hundred percent commitment and onomatopoeic images. From the first sound of Intro (which impregnated by the spirit of Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive”) it’s clear what are the expectations of an album. And it doesn’t disappoint. First song, “Helldorado” knocking down and force to headbang. The same with the “Goddamn Hippie”, “Overdrive Junkies”, “Shame On You” – damn, almost all of them.

There are some adds of “southern” sound – “Papa Joe” (great lyrics about dad that looks for his daughter), “Blessed Hellride” and “ballad” “Dead Man’s Blues”. Actually, it’s not a ballad in a usual sense, but slow-tempo song. Anyway, what’s the difference, if it sounds great?

Here and there some references to the guys inspirations can be heard – Black Label Society, Texas Hippie Coalition and already mentioned fathers Lynyrd Skynyrd. So somebody can say that there isn’t something new in this album. Everything that is presented in Bastards and Outlaws already sounded at this three bands. It’s hardly possible to argue with this, because an album is such “in style”, that it’s difficult to demand something extraordinary from it. But there is one big disadvantage: it’s so boring to listen to it at home. Bike riding, bar with tasty alcohol are much better for it. And live performances, of course. The energy of this music is rushing so that many would envy.

In conclusion, I want to say that Bastards and Outlaws will hardly hit the charts or will make a revolution in a world of heavy music. But all of this isn’t necessary for it.

Bastards and Outlaws is out in March, 18 on Rodeostar/SPV label.

(c) Droll (Ukrainian version on www.dailymetal.com.ua)