Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast

by Anthony Strutt

published: 26 / 5 / 2013

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast

Label: V2
Format: CD

intro

Eclectic seventh album from abrasive San Francisco-based rockers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are now seven albums into their career, but still remain fresh as they did when they released ‘B.R.M.C’, their debut album, at the turn of the century. Now minus their original drummer Nick Jago, this is the first album since the death in 2010 of singer and bassist Rob Been's father Michael, who was the front man in the Call. ‘Specter At The Feast’ shows how the band have evolved over the years, instead of continuing to push out the songs that sound like their 2001 biggest hit, ‘Whatever Happened to My Rock ‘n’ Roll?’ ‘Specter At The Feast’ is their second album on their own Abstract Dragon label. ‘Firewalker’, the opening track, start off with a mystical Cure-like keyboard-based sound before a harsh bass drops right in, backed up by beefy drums and guitar. Rob slowly leaks his vocals out, and as this deep and gritty track moves along it becomes increasingly more hypnotic. ‘Let the Day Begin’ is a tribute to Rob's father. It is a song by Michael Been with a rollercoaster sound. Sung by guitarist Peter Hayes, this has more of B.R.M.C.’s trademark swagger, being loud, aggressive and kicking against the wall of authority. ‘Returning’ has a vocal from Rob. It is slowly paced, almost gospel like in feel with slow drums to back his golden vocal, before the music speeds on up and eventually flows over you like an ambient Slowdive number. ‘Lullaby’ is an acoustic track, which is reminiscent of John Lennon and both very calming and charming. ‘Hate the Taste’ has a vocal from Pete, and is instantly addictive. Its edgy bass sucks you right in, and, with its guitar joining in on the journey, it becomes a classy number to pogo your heart out too. ‘Rival’ is hot and sticky rock ‘n’ roll, with its wah wah guitars turned up to the maximum. The guitars on ‘Teenage Disease’ are again switched up high. This is as hard hitting as an early grunge number, and is a song aimed to make your feet move. ‘Some Kind of Ghost’ is a spiritual track, like one of the tracks off their third album, ‘Howl’. Rob’s vocal is reminiscent of Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce, and is slowly paced, so much it is almost an alternative hymn. ‘Sometimes the Light’ has a vocal from Pete, and is another ambient shoegaze number. ‘Funny Games’ is much more abrasive, with spiky guitars, and massive drums from former Raveonettes drummer Leah Shapiro. The vocals are sharp and clean while the music is very catchy. ‘Sell It’ is chunky and experimental in sound, like a combination of A Place to Bury Strangers and Nirvana. ‘Lose Yourself’ ends the album in a lo-fi fashion. It rocks very gently in a gospel style. A fantastic album.

Track Listing:-

1 Fire Walker
2 Let The Day Begin
3 Returning
4 Lullaby
5 Hate The Taste
6 Rival
7 Teenage Disease
8 Some Kind Of Ghost
9 Sometimes The Light
10 Funny Games
11 Sell It
12 Lose Yourself

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/BRMCOfficial/
http://blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/
https://twitter.com/brmcofficial

live reviews

Rock City, Nottingham, 29/3/2013

Anthony Strutt enjoys a intense set of rock and roll from San Francisco trio the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to promote their seventh album 'Specter at the Feast' at Rock City in Nottingham

Brixton Academy, London, 11/12/2010

Octagon, Sheffield University, 4/11/2003