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A stoner/Southern metal pastiche that approaches things cleverly, as evinced by the first two tracks launching almost immediately into a bridge or chorus before the riff has a chance to set the tone for the proceedings. Plenty of time for such pleasantries later, I guess? In any case, said tracks, “Striding the Valleys of Skullumus” and “Carry on Doctor,” build their own crescendos of smash and bash, with lively work by the rhythm section. Further on, “Man Zero Freak One" has a lock-step lurching riff and beat straight from QOTSA’s “No One Knows.” Makes me wonder exactly what angle this band’s coming from, because in addition to a vestigial hard-alternative earnestness at work both vocally and instrumentally, there’s also a chest-thumping glam swagger, which sometimes wins me over but also seems anachronistically dorky in this deep-fried subgenre milieu. Maybe it’s just Southern glam ala Salty Dog or The Four Horsemen that I’m rooting out along with the Kyuss influence? Doesn’t really matter, because songs as great as “Golden Age of Piracy” and drugged-up, drugged-out closer “Broken on a Wheel” demand respect and loyalty to heavy riffs and great lyrics, regardless of consideration from which direction this band’s inspirational winds blow. It’s all hefty, all Suddern, all of the time. So naturally, it makes perfect sense that these guys are from London, England, like Status Quo before them, whose “Big Fat Mama” is lovingly covered here.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Striding the Valleys of Skullumus |
| 2. Carry On Doctor |
| 3. Man Zero Freak One |
| 4. Sissy |
| 5. The Golden Age of Piracy |
| 6. The Howling |
| 7. Big Fat Mama (Status Quo cover) |
| 8. Bastinado |
| 9. Broken on a Wheel |
: 43:34
| Buy other Sons of Merrick albums |
