The Atomic Bitchwax | website | facebook |
Released on April 21, 2015 via Tee Pee Records
Sometimes as a reviewer you choose an album on nothing but gut instinct, but checking out Gravitron by New Jersey’s The Atomic Bitchwax was the biggest no brainer of the year thus far. A power trio featuring not one but two current members of Monster Magnet and a biog that uses the words ‘riff rock’ and ‘thunder-boogie’ it’s fair to say they had me at hello. Admittedly I’m slow to make their acquaintance as Gravitron is the band’s sixth album of a fifteen year career, but with an impending appearance at this years’ Desertfest in Camden this is a good time to pick up the TAB.
‘Sexocutioner’ is at once a marker and a slightly misleading opener – being pounding indie punk flavoured stoner, which is one long breathless climax, with only a dirty bass run by only original member Chris Kosnik breaking up the momentum. It’s fine but doesn’t really display the band’s strengths.
Now ‘No Way Man’ has a bit more room to breathe, with epic power trio rhythms overplayed by stratospheric soloing from Finn Ryan, but still anchored by the strong melodic vocal lines of Kosnik. I hesitate to say it, but they’re like a dirtier Foo Fighters. There’s something kind of bubblegum, kind of 70’s rock radio and kind of garage grunge about the whole deal – yeah ‘It’s Alright’.
This is one mighty impressive power trio – everything is locked down tight, but allowed free rein to just blast off into flights of seemingly improvised psyche blues exploration. Sometimes the bass mimics the lead, sometimes it peels off and totally does its own thing whilst the drums of Bob Pantella keep you under constant barrage.
‘Coming In Hot’ has a swagger with echoes of Grand Funk Railroad and then changes pace into a psyche flash bomb of pure funk power. And there’s no time to take a breather as the quite awesome instrumental ‘Fuck Face’ then steamrollers over you, reverses back, feeds you acid then straps you to a drag racer. This is the most energised and energising piece of music I’ve heard all year. Then ‘Porto World’ immediately picks you up, swings you round, infects your brain with its killer chorus then adds more cowbell! HOLY FUCK – this bitch doesn’t have any brakes!
‘Down With The Swirl’ adds funky keys amidst the punishing proto-metal – imagine Starsky and Hutch theme meets Deep Purple. And then just when you think you think we’re heading off into instrumental wig outs for the duration ‘Roseland’ comes on with the biggest, catchiest FM rock chorus married to jarring punk guitars – it’s a song Dave Grohl would kill to have written.
That almost casual knack for a commercial groove is proven again on ‘Ice Age Hey Baby’, which matches hand claps to backwards masked guitars and a beautiful piece of warm and easy vocalising from Kosnik. Man, these guys make it all seem so easy. Honestly there are more massive hooks, killer riffs, crazy solos and deft shifts in mood and pace than you can keep count of on Gravitron.
This album is life affirmingly good and Gravitron is one of those records that rekindles your love affair with rock all over again.
