Pick Your Rock and Metal

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

ALBUM REVIEW: Thundermother remind us all that rock'n'roll is meant to be fun on Road Fever

REMEMBER the days when you went to a hard rock show and had fun? Not just the beer-fuelled variety, but full-on, jaws wide open in a smile, nodding head type fun.

No pretensions, no bull shit - just riffs, hooks, melodies to singalong to, solos and fists punching the air. Thundermother deliver that type of fun on their second release 'Road Fever'.

This five-piece rock sisterhood serve up all the ingredients that make hard rock such a fun genre, all the while acknowledging their predecessors. This release draws on the halcyon days of AC/DC, Motorhead as Claire Cunningham delivers a vocal that has Joan Jett and Lita Ford forced to re-assess their place in the female vocalist pantheon.


The fact that they are all ladies in this band is beside the point, as is best epitomised on the album opener 'It's Just A Tease' on which lead guitarist Filippa Nässil lets rip throughout. But the line that sums up the attitude of Thundermother is on the track. It says: "just because I'm wearing a skirt doesn't mean I want more than a flirt".

Yes, the band know that the majority of their audience is male, and appreciate that the less-evolved of the gender will ogle rather than listen. Those that listen, really listen will be well-rewarded by this unity of purpose; as the album closer 'Rock 'n' Roll Sisterhood' epitomises.

This is a release chock full of hard rockin' tracks that will simply leave you grinning from ear-to-ear.

Giorgia Carteria's rhythm guitar rolls along in a riff tornado of tempos such as on the ode to tattooing 'Thunder Machine'.

Anchoring the entire album are Linda Ström (bass) and Tilda Stenqvist (drums), as on display on the mid-paced 'Vagabond'.

Throughout 'Road Fever' Thundermother lay down the rock gospel with style and substance that would shame many of their contemporaries.

'FFWF', 'Deal With The Devil', 'Roadkill' etcetera, etcetera, the tunes keep coming and the grin keeps getting wider with every listen.

This is a party recorded for your listening delight -  an album that will have you cracking open a beer and singing along - no matter what your gender.

Review by Jonny




No comments: