Black Robot – Black Robot CD review
This new band is totally out to rock you and this is not an album for the faint hearted!
The band here is Black Robot, the brainchild of Buckcherry’s Jonathan "JB" Brightman on bass, who hooked up with Detroit raised Huck Johns on vocals, who himself had relocated to the West Coast, following no success on his own earlier solo path. This album also features Yogi (Guitar) and Devon Glenn on drums, both with Buckcherry backgrounds. Additional drum work here by Darren Dodd and Chris Powell and the legendary Fred Mandell (Queen, Elton John, Pink Floyd) on keyboards. Production duties are handled by Dave Cobb.
Opening with the totally AC/DC riff-tastic ‘Baddass,’ they just knock you dead, right out of the blocks!
I must also add that with the band’s interpretation of the J.J. Cale tune, ‘Cocaine’ (Yes, I know, Eric Clapton made it famous!) is also like The Who meets AC/DC and the vocal is totally Bon Scott!
Now if people want to say that Black Robot is just another AC/DC wannabe band, they would be so wrong, as they have their own vibe in there too, but the influences to me are without doubt the aforementioned AC/DC, but perhaps some Black Crowes, Aerosmith and Rolling Stones in there too .
Let’s face it, Jet did it, Silvertide too and er, of course Buckcherry had a little of that too you know, but there’s many more too and didn’t folks enjoy their stuff? Oh yes, they most certainly did.
This band / album just has that certain something about it, that tells me they are going to break big.
I said Black Crowes and 'Momma Don’t Cry' certainly nods that way, but with their own twist to it, in a tale about a boy gone to war and a message back to his dear old Mum at home.
The Bon Scott type vocals return with the AC/DC driven ‘Girls Kissing Girls.’ So down and dirty, how can you not enjoy the cheek these guys have?! Great fun stuff!
'Money' opens with simple southern rock style riff, before the drums come pounding in, I must say that I’m really not into the more punky style chorus of, ‘Money, money! Money, money!’
Probably my least favorite track on here, but no lack of energy about it …!
In ‘I’m In Love’ the band hits rock ballad territory and it’s probably something Aerosmith would’ve like to have written, with perhaps a little hint of Extreme to it in the chorus, but musically they’ve totally made it their own. Love this song.
A trashy approach is what we get with the opening of ‘In My Car’ and you know there’s something a little Roger Daltrey in Huck’s voice here and then the guitar solo gets a little soulful, which then seems odd as everything else starts to crank again before wrapping the song up.
The band’s theme song ‘Black Robot’ next is really a little out there, kind of edgy space rock a little weird and actually not so impressed with this one.
‘Love on a .45’ is next and it seems the punky vibe within the band strikes again and it’s kind of strange because half the song I really love, but the other half kind of throw me a little too.
The good parts bring to mind perhaps Alice Cooper, but then there’s even a whacky synth solo right at the end.
Next is ‘Dissatisfaction’ that grooves with an almost sub-Zeppelin rock groove, but that punky vocal approach again kind of kills it for me.
‘23 Days of Night’ seems grooving musically but then becomes a little repetitive after a while.
OK, back to the better stuff in ‘Stop the World’ which is another great rock ballad, some great harmonies and really good structure. Another gem in here for sure!
Final track is ‘Nervous Breakdown’ which has a kind of southern and roots feel to it and closes the album nicely.
No question that these guys found a groove and went with it, sometimes though for me it takes more of a punky path rather than true rock path, that to be honest lost something for me.
I will say this though, they certainly have something here that will get attention, mark my words!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
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