Sunday 9 October 2011

Band of Skulls: a much anticipated return

We last heard Russel Marsden's Band of Skulls exactly two years ago when that banger Friends (no I don't mean The Rembrandts) came out. Since then rock fans around the UK have been praying for a spectacular return for the band we all know and love. And you know what, they've smashed it.


It's called The Devil Takes Care Of His Own and if you're a fan of deep bassy Black Keys alt rock then you might as well go to the nearest hotel and chuck all the tellies out of windows in celebration of just that guitar riff. That's proper Angus Young stuff. I'm sure there's a load of so called "hard men" up and down the country crying into their tattooed biceps because Emma Richardson rocks out way better than they do. Well blink-182, you carry on making your cheesy American pop rock but if you want to have a proper impact on people then watch and learn.

So how do you make a track like this? What is it about Devil Takes Care that blows you off your seat? And how the hell are those two questions in any way related? Blatantly the guitar skills but start dissecting the song and you'll find a number of pieces slotting together to make this epic jigsaw. The awesomeness Matt Hayward pounds out of his drum kit, the simplicity and rawness of the 4/4 beat and the harmonious melody that carries the whole song are mixed together to create one of the best songs of the year. If you're in a garage rock band then start taking notes now.


And if this is what we can expect from their new untitled album out early next year then it's a must buy. Produced by Ian Davenport (who also helped with Baby Darling Doll Face Honey and has worked with Badly Drawn Boy and Supergrass) and recorded in the birthplace of Bohemian Rhapsody - Rockfield Studios. This isn't the last we've heard from these three by a long shot.

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