Monday 1 December 2014

Crobot - Something Supernatural (Album Review)


Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 24/10/2014
Label: Nuclear Blast

“Something Supernatural” CD/DD/LP track listing:

1. Legend of the Spaceborne Killer (3:18)
2. Nowhere to Hide (3:03)
3. The Necromancer (3:18)
4. La Mano de Lucifer (5:35)
5. Skull of Geronimo (3:55)
6. Cloud Spiller (3:41)
7. Fly on the Wall (4:10)
8. Night of the Sacrifice (2:59)
9. Chupacabra (3:13)
10. Wizards (3:32)
11. Queen of the Light (5:09)

Bio:

There was a time when rock radio was dominated by great riffs. From DEEP PURPLE’s ‘Smoke On The Water’ and DEREK AND THE DOMINOE’s ‘Layla’ to SOUNDGARDEN’s ‘Black Hole Sun’ and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’s ‘Killing In The Name Of’ it was all about that unmistakable guitar sound that instantly identified a band or song.

The four members of CROBOT -- Brandon Yeagley (lead vocals), Chris Bishop (guitar), Jake Figueroa (bass) and Paul Figueroa (drums) -- have united to bring that back.

Blending funk, blues, metal and good old-fashioned rock and roll into a howling vortex of Yeagley’s vocals, Bishop’s guitar and the Figueroa’s backbone, CROBOT have crafted an album of endless good time rock hooks that sound as inspired today as they would have on AOR radio in 1974.  

Crobot is:

Brandon Yeagley | lead vocals, harmonica
Chris Bishop | guitar, vocals
Jake Figuroa | bass
Paul Figuroa | drums

Review:

All you 70’s-style riff diggers take notice!  Crobot’s full-length debut has arrived and brings with it exactly what you’re looking for if that’s your thing.  This Pottsville, Pennsylvania quartet deliver killer vocals and fuzzed-out bluesy guitars (with a slight Southern-style stomp to round out their sound). 

The album starts off with swirling fuzz and “static” feedback as it launches into the first track, “Legend of the Spaceborne Killer,” and if you dig this riff then stay tuned as the rest of the album does not let up.  A track lyrically expounding about an unknown invader (a half bird, a half bot or half alien?), whose mission is to simply destroy all in its path, this sets the tone and mood for the rest of the tracks you’ll hear.  A favorite song I go back to again and again.  The entire album is fantastic and I dig every song, but I will point out a few tracks that I feel deserve special mention.

“Nowhere to Hide,” the album’s second track, contains some of the album’s finest guitar work in my opinion.  The “chicken scratching” is used to great effect here, and adds great rhythm to the already superb riff.  A standout.

My favorite on this album by far is “Night of the Sacrifice,” number nine on the track list.   This is a song I had on repeat in my car and blasted at max volume (with tons of drum bass to boot) with the windows rolled down time and time again.  This is an absolute balls-out rocker and you’ll find yourself wanting to hear the chorus over and over.  They use a killer guitar tone on a slide note on said chorus as well at the end of the second verse that I really dig.  Simply outstanding.

Monsters of legend, sacrificial rites, wizards, and even Lucifer himself are all present and accounted for as themes for Crobot’s songs.  But as dark as the subject matter is, the songs really are more of the “boogie woogie” sort, which Crobot makes work very well.  This isn’t a dark and “brooding” sort of album in any way.  On the contrary, it is a definite “partier” and would fit well into any style get together with some friends or if you simply want to “rock out.”

You can’t go wrong with picking up this album.  This is hard rock music done right!  I should also mention that the bonus track version of the album contains “Tap Dancin’ On a Tightrope.”  Well worth the extra price.  You buy now.

Words by Mike Lainez   

You can pick up a copy here



For more information:
www.nuclearblast.de/crobot