X-impossibles - White Knuckle Ride
by Geraint Jones
published: 17 / 12 / 2001

Label:
Headhunter
Format: CD
intro
Kickin’ off with a sample of turbo-charged drag racing, the X-Impossibles boldly titled debut, produced by former Sugar bass player, Dave Barbe, spits, snarls and swaggers in equal measure, but probab
Kickin’ off with a sample of turbo-charged drag racing, the X-Impossibles boldly titled debut, produced by former Sugar bass player, Dave Barbe, spits, snarls and swaggers in equal measure, but probably wouldn’t upset your neighbours as much as it thinks it might. Fronted by vocalist Tim Lumley, whose Lux Interior meets Iggy Pop style vocals certainly suit the material, the X-Impossibles other key asset is guitarist Shaun Christian, who’s obviously been studying the classic Detroit guitar manglers. While it’s not that hard to detect the bands confessed influences such as the Stooges and MC5 they unfortunately fail to rise above the level of mere copycats adding nothing of great worth to the style they seek to emulate. The production doesn’t help, the drums lack punch and sound tinny with the guitars similarly lacking in the oomph factor and being far to trebly to really rock. The album isn’t actually all that bad, but fails to live up to the promise of the title, unless you find the prospect of a journey home on the bus gets your adrenaline flowing. They redeem themselves a bit with the brace of closing tracks on the album; their own ‘My Life’ has an incisive and catchy guitar hook and the bonus hidden track, a live take on the Dead Boys number ‘What Love Is’ demonstrates what the band are capable of. Let’s have a bit more of the same next time please.
Track Listing:-
1 Fire2 Don't Tread
3 Dead Horse
4 Loaded
5 Living Dead
6 Action Man
7 Hot Wire
8 Kill Tomorrow Tonight
9 Cold Blooded
10 Nowhere To Nowhere
11 My Life
12 (Live One Take)
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