Label: Mascot Records
Genre: Hard Rock
Release Date EU: June 3rd, 2022
Line Up:
Brandon Yeagley
Chris Bishop
Dan Ryan
Tim Peugh
Tracklist:
Electrified
Dizzy
Set You Free
Better Times
Golden
Without Wings
Livin’ on the Streets
Into the Fire
Dance with the Dead
Holy Ghost
Never Break Me
Staring Straight into the Sun
Crobot’s debut album ‘Legend of the Spaceborne Killer’ was released ten years ago and since then the quartet started an impressive journey through the musical landscapes of rock. Having four records and several tours under their belt, also the pandemic hit the band, just as everybody else.
Instead of sitting around and wasting time, Chris Bishop and Dan Ryan started to work on new material and then sent the material to Brandon Yeagley. That’s how the ‘Rat Child’ EP was created, a bridge towards the next longplayer.
‘Feel This’ is the title of this next release from Crobot. A twelve-song tracklist and 4 minutes of running time bring the best of hard-rocking music to the plate. Hard rock and Blues, both are influential for Crobot and are the main pillars for songs like ‘Better Times’. The song was the lead single for the album and is a good representative for fans, giving them an idea of what to expect.
The entry point to ‘Feel This’ is a well-chosen one. The upbeat ‘Electrified’ is a high-tension rocker that unfolds right away. No frills, just the pure essence of rock with a good level of versatility, that is ‘Electrified’. What a good start.
‘Dizzy’ is next and comes at a slower pace. It is an energizer with a great groove and the hoarse vocals of Yeagley are the extra spice. ‘Golden’ is another song to mention. In case you identify a bit of Soundgarden woven into this tune you are right. ‘Golden’ is an homage to a great singer and frontman – Chris Cornell. The song is a great one with a chorus that reminds me of ‘Black Hole Sun’. Still, there is enough Crobot embedded too to make it more than just a copy of the heavy grunge sound of the ‘90s.
The album in general is very much about human nature and everything that results from it. The mentioned ‘Dizzy’ is about unstable relationships while the roaring ‘Holy Ghost’ is more about making mistakes and learning from them.
A song that starts calm and easy is named ‘Without Wings’ and no, it’s not a ballad. The calmer intro turns into an iron-pumping rocker that electrifies. Groove is in the spotlight the moment Crobot starts ‘Never Break Me’, a more layered song that takes a while to unfold.
The final chapter on this longplayer is entitled ‘Staring Straight into the Sun’. The anthemic tune has a post-grunge reminding structure and isn’t the catchiest song on the album. It takes a bit, as with ‘Never Break Me’ and it is worth investing the time.
‘Feel This’ is an emotional album that sounds authentic. Crobot unleashes the beast of rock’n’roll and doesn’t try to tame it. It is the pure energy that runs free with the quartet in the driver’s seat. Modern and sophisticated hard rock in the `20s should sound like what you get offered on ‘Feel This’. Let’s rock.
Written by: Markus Wiedenmann
Ratings: (8/10)
https://open.spotify.com/album/1KRDInixnT3AO7K6HQkKty
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