“An album sure to hit the sweet spot for fans of Weedeater, Transnational Speedway-era Clutch, and the dream of 90s Relapse bands surviving years of meth and finally downshifting to whiskey”
One of these days, Magnetic Eye Records is sure to put out a stinker, right? RIGHT?!?! Honestly, I don’t think that’s possible. And with the slate of just signed talent and the already announced new arrivals on the horizon it doesn’t seem possible. That’s especially true when discussing the MER debut from Boston’s Leather Lung who have an album that definitely backs up the gospel typed in the press release above.
For fans drooling over new recorded material following 2016’s Lost In Temptation and their slew of much-touted incendiary live performances, Lonesome, On’ry and Evil is just what the doctor ordered. It’s that hair of the dog kind of album that you didn’t know you needed after a way too late night out supporting your local rawk venue. It’ll simultaneously rawk your noggin while soothing your soul!
But I digress.
Now onto the tunes! “Barbed Wire” is kind of the most perfect way to kick this album off with huge riffs, soaring guitars and a gravelly throated frontman in Mike that’s the icing on the cake. Add some spaced out desert vibes like those perfect Monster Magnet anthems of yore and you have the perfect recipe for an opening salvo.
“Dirty Mangy Dog” is a mover and a shaker, and a veritable new live anthem for the Boston quartet, while “Whiskey Barrel Blues” is just that: a nice little blues-tinged ditty that sounds more at home in the bayou than in Beantown thus proving you don’t have to live in it to feel it.
“Ain’t Feelin’ No Pain” is fuzz-soaked excellence which gives a glimpse of what’s on the horizon from the Boston rawkers when these heavenly vocals descend on us regular folk like a Greek God descending from the heavens to impart gifts on us mere mortals.
“Miscreant” is dirge-like and definitely the heaviest and dirtiest slab of rawk awesome on this already indescribable collection of awesomeness with a vocalist that sounds absolutely possessed during the bluesy breakdown before getting back into the thick of things.
Later on, “Skeleton Key” is almost a tale of two different bands with those clean vocals popping up yet again to and then “A Forward Escape” is righteous and divine…and holy shit we’re not worthy of the awesome (Not sorry for using that word as much as we have during this review) that Leather Lung and Magnetic Eye Records has wrought upon us.
Lonesome, On’ry and Evil is out on August 23rd via the aforementioned Magnetic Eye Records. Pre-orders are available now by clicking here or here. For more on Leather Lung, including upcoming dates and more, follow the band here and here.