Palestine Texas hardrockers Blacktop Mojo are gearing up to release their second studio album ‘Burn The Ships’ on March 10, 2017 via Cuhmon Records. Check out my review of the effort right here!
Rock and roll is dead. Or rather… rock and roll WAS dead and Blacktop Mojo just poured a bottle of whiskey down its throat and took the damn defibrillators to town on that bitch until it woke the hell up. ‘Burn The Ships’ is one of the best heavy music albums I’ve heard in a long time. Equal parts grunge and southern rock, Blacktop Mojo just might be the best REAL band in North America since The Black Keys decided to just play the blues. Lead singer Matt James is just as strong as Shinedown’s Brent Smith and his work on their cover of Aerosmith’s ‘Dream On’ is nothing short of stunning.
‘Shadows on The Wall’ is one of my favourite cuts on the effort and it reminded me of classics like Soundgarden’s ‘Outshined’ or Alice in Chains’ ‘Rooster’. Blacktop Mojo are still strong when they slow it down too and I like a band that can still retain it’s energy and presence on the ballads like album closer ‘Underneath’, which reminded me of Goo Goo Dolls (that’s a good thing man – when you can slow it down and still make the men pay attention, then you’ve struck gold). Ryan Kiefer and Kenneth Irwin’s guitarwork is stellar while Matt Curtis (bass) and Nathan Gillis (drums) round out one of the tightest bands in the USA.
There are so many brilliant songs on ‘Burn The Ships’ that I’m floored to be honest. From the killer album opener ‘Where The Wind Blows’ which has shades of of Copperhead Road-era Steve Earle all the way to blistering tracks like ‘Pyromaniac’ featuring lyrics like “Watch me burn out. I lit the flame myself. Don’t breathe in the smoke, you fool. Don’t wanna watch you choke” – this record is an album of the year contender. Believe it.
Rating: [star rating=”4.5″]