DeWolff – Muscle Shoals

 

 

DeWolff – Muscle Shoals
Mascot – 2024
Rock, Roots
Rated:  

Formed in The Netherlands in the year two thousand and seven, DeWolff have been cranking out tunes as a collective for almost two decades. They say time flies when you’re having fun and boy do DeWolff have fun! The brothers Pablo and Luka van de Poel and Robin Piso have traveled the world playing venues and festivals alike. They have played with tons of musicians across the world. The band has recorded in different countries, provinces, and states across the globe. Which brings us to the small yet historical town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA. Three Dutchmen walk into an Alabama studio, sounds like the setup to a bad joke your Uncle Joe might would tell at a family gathering right? No, this is not the case. The reason of course, as I mentioned, is the historic significance of Muscle Shoals. Specifically, the musical significance of the town and the famous studios within. DeWolff found themselves with a chance to record in FAME Studios and the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, both of which produced legendary acts of R&B and Soul, as well as Rock ‘n’ Roll and Southern Rock, respectively. When that opportunity came, DeWolff seized the moment.

Which brings us to the album Muscle Shoals. Even those that are familiar with or have heard of the band DeWolff may not realize this is their tenth studio album. However, there is no burnout or lack of inspiration from this group, and you need only listen to Muscle Shoals as proof. DeWolff have their own personality, it’s an irresistible feel-good atmosphere projected throughout the entire album, and you can’t help but feel its energy. The retro vibes are strong, not only in the compositions and production, but also in the songwriting. We have the rockin’ tunes of ‘Natural Woman’, ‘Truce’, and ‘Ophelia’ that achieve a 70’s sound with the vocal harmonies and the ever-present keys that are staples of DeWolff’s music. They aren’t afraid to add claps, saxophone, or backing vocals to the mix, and the songs are all the better for these additions. We have the groovin’ tracks of ‘Out on the Town’, ‘Hard to Make a Buck’, and ‘Fools & Horses’ which are full of stories and perhaps even life lessons. The influences of old school rock and soul that have shaped DeWolff are evident as they shine on Muscle Shoals, and the chemistry of the band is undeniable. The brothers have similar voices, and the back-and-forth vocals on ‘Hard to Make a Buck’ and ‘Fools & Horses’ are really special, a true highlight of the album. We have the lovin’ songs, I put them in the same category as they are all related to love, though I’d like to point out the three different stages of a relationship. You have the upbeat beginning of ‘In Love’ with a walking bass line and splendid percussion, while the backup vocals echo the fresh new excitement of affection. ‘Let’s Stay Together’ is more of a reflection of the past, longing for that initial connection that has somewhat faded over time. The track is more of a somber affair, with an orchestral sound to the organ. Then we come to the end of this trio of songs with ‘Ships in The Night’, I feel it can be interpreted in two different ways. Either the love is rekindled or the realization hits that like ships in the night, separate paths can only align for a short time.

There are four other tracks that I didn’t mention, though I hope you go out and check the album out yourself and see what all my rambling and praise is about. After enjoying their previous album, last year’s ‘Love, Death & In Between’ as much as I did, I wasn’t expecting a new album so soon, nor was I expecting such a great album. DeWolff has so many components that I enjoy. Organs, vocal harmonies, and a retro sound, just to name a few. There’s plenty to love on Muscle Shoals, and if you love Blues, Soul, and Classic Rock, you’ll enjoy this latest outing.

(Written by Jon McGough)

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Review for Live at Royal Theatre Carré with Metropole Orchestra

Review for Tascam Tapes

Review for Thrust

Review for Roux-Ga-Roux

Review for Grand Southern Electric

Review for Orchards / Lupine

Review for Strange Fruits and Undiscovered Plants

Review for Dewolff

Crobot – Feel This

 

 

Crobot – Feel This
Mascot – 2022
Rock, Hard, Stoner, Southern, Seventies, Metal
Rated: *****

Crobot. Our much-loved Crobot. Remember 2012, when Legend Of The Spaceborn Killer came out? Followed by the Something Supernatural album, featuring that single once again in 2014. After which came Welcome To Fat City in 2016 and then Motherbrain in 2019. Interspersed by singles, EP’s, of which Rat Child was the latest. We loved them all! And now there is a fifth, full-sized Crobot banger called Feel This! On it we hear the band we all love so dearly do what we want them to do, bring you that classic rock, hardrock and stoner mixture, with a seventies approach, superb vocals and a furious edge, to rev you up and get you crazy. This time however moving more into southern rock regions and metal territories. Highly dynamic and bursting with conviction, the twelve tracks of Feel This are extremely infectious and fun. Feel This will undoubtedly put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. It sounds like a band that has found the exact sound they want to take with them into the future without forgetting to sound like that band they were in the past. Impressive, willful and incredibly cool. That’sCrobot alright!

(Written by JK)

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Crobot – Rat Child

 

 

Crobot – Rat Child
Mascot Records – 2021
Rock, Hardrock, Stoner
Rated: ****

We became Crobot fans for life after we first heard that, errrr, legendary, The Legend Of The Spaceborn Killer back in 2012. And we mean it, cause even though we must confess that we do not listen to Welcome To Fat City or Motherbrain nearly enough, we still listen to Something Supernatural from 2014 and the earlier version from 2012 regularly. And the new four track EP Rat Child has been spinning daily ever since we received it. Featuring guest spots by Frank Bello from Anthrax, Stix Zadinia from Steel Panther and Howard Jones from Light The Torch (ex-Killswitch Engage) the EP takes on four distinctly different hardrock personas. One moving towards arena rock, while another stays dusty and bluesy. A groove is always present and when they start off a track with an ominous approach to a ballad you know you will be listening to something special! And it is! Simply stated, you need to put the always riff ready Rat Child EP by Crobot on repeat and let it slowly take hold of every fiber of your being. Cause it will and it will turn you into a life long fan as well!

(Written by JK)

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DeWolff – Tascam Tapes

DeWolff – Tascam Tapes

Mascot – 2020

Rock, Soul

Rated: ****

I remember a Blue Cheer gig in my home town back around 2008. I remember me and my buddies watching this band of really young kids playing the warm up set for the few people already there. The band was called INFA and wasn’t really that interesting, except for the young guitar player. We all looked at each other and said: that kid is going places! That kid was Pablo van de Poel and has been touring the world with his two DeWolff brothers for a while now. Their thirteenth release is called Tascam Tapes and was recorded in every dirty little hole they visited the past year. Often recorded in the dressing rooms, toilets or one of the rented chambers in some rundown little shithole people dared call a hotel. Without amplifiers, without a drumkit, no Hammond organ but just some weird looking eighties synthesizers and rhythm tracks lifted of old soul songs. For a three piece band that is known for their massive sound on stage and wild sound on earlier records it is a damn different approach. And one that famously cost the band only fifty bucks to record. Well, it still has a massive amount of soul and can still sound angry, mean or filthy. But it is more laidback and seems to float through so many layers of soul it seems insane. It is a different kind of evolution and one that is definitely welcomed by a DeWolff lover from day one, cause the past records have been a steady line into the past, the sound of yore and the roots on all the greats that came before. This explores soulful dimensions that groove, that swing, that grate, that stutter and makes you long for more. Cause we know all about their hard rocking hard rock, their seventies approach and their psychedelic trucking. This is different and we love it!

(Written by JK)

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Crobot – Motherbrain

Crobot – Motherbrain

Mascot – 2019

Rock, Hard, Grunge, Stoner

Rated: ****

We were already in love with these cats before their self-released debut album Legend Of The Spaceborn Killer came out. Our love grew and blossomed and grew and was finally set in stone when we had the chance to see them live. Crobot! What a band! What an outfit! But not all has been right with the band, they had troubles before and they've had them again. So, once again they’ve made changes in the line-up, which could result in a totally different sound and uneven feeling, but on the new record Motherbrain it is all there once again! Powerhouse vocals, massive grooves and gigantic guitarlines. This time around the grunge has been pushed up and the seventies approach pushed down. The production is even bigger and in the way Crobot translates their love for the huge hardrock sound you can hear true adoration. And as much as we adore them, they also adore Stoner HiVe! Cause they sign this record of with an ode to The HiVe. Thanks amigo’s! We are honored! We love the new album and we love Crobot! And always will…

(Written by JK)

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Monster Truck – True Rockers

Monster Truck – True Rockers

Mascot / Bertus – 2018

Rock, Hard, Blues, Southern

Rated: ****

Monster Truck, we love ‘em. We dug their Furiosity album back in 2013 and we dug Sittin’ Heavy from 2016. And now they’re back with True Rockers. Another album filled with eleven straight up, no nonsense, fists up in the air, balls out, hard rockin, fast truckin, beer guzzling, foot stompin heavy tracks! The best thing about this new album is the high energy and crazy adrenaline coursing through the songs. Which might be due to the fact that most of the album was written while on the road, making absolute sure that they were able to catch that live spirit, that excitement and that wild enthusiasm. There is nothing new under the sun and Monster Truck’s new album is a testament to the fact that we do need anything new. We just need our very religious odes, our praise and our devotion to the love we all share for unadulterated rock n roll!

(Written by JK)

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DeWolff – Thrust

DeWolff – Thrust

Mascot – 2018

Rock, Blues, Psych, Southern

Rated: *****

As ya’ll know, we’ve been in love with everything DeWolff does since they started putting out music. Well, almost. We did not dig their former one called Roux-Ga-Roux as much as all the other albums. But they are back now and better than ever! Sexy, sixties, seventies, seducing and southern! These are the real super sounds! The new record is called Thrust and gives us everything we always loved from DeWolff; and they continue that trek towards the great musical past that they seemed to have started on with the Grand Southern Electric album. Ever more Allman Brothers, ever more Zeppelin and ever more pure gold. It’s their seventh studio album and the boys have produced a grand classic if ever there was one. Describing small personal moments just as easily as commenting on the big evils in the world. And just hear that luscious Hammond wailing away and ofcourse the magnificent guitar work by Pablo himself. Yes, we go overboard on superlatives again, and we do not apologize for that, cause Thrust is magnificent!

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 Artists listened to last week…

Stoner HiVe’s 

Top 5 Artists listened to last week…

W.A.S.P.
Sean Wheeler
Hälläs
Supersonic Blues Machine
Sanhedrin

In preparation for a Blackie Lawless interview and the live rendition of The Crimson Idol record we listened to a lot of W.A.S.P. this week. But we definitely enjoyed the honorable Mr. Sean Wheeler more and his fine Sand In My Blood album (released by Little Village Foundation) is simply stunning. The legendary desert punk delivers one hell of a southern, sun dried, Americana tinged, bluesy folk album. One for the road and one for lazy afternoons with corn on the barbecue and dubious quality bourbon slowly turning into lukewarm gold. Supersonic Blues Machine and their Californisoul record (out on Provogue/Mascot) definitely deliver the goods as well. Powerful blues rock and hard rock filled with guest spots from Billy Gibbons, Eric Gales, Walter Trout, Robben Ford and Steve Lukather. Damn fine stuff! And how about Hälläs! Heavy rock from Sweden! A mixture of NWOBHM, space rock and seventies inspired hard rock. Their new Excerpts From A Future Past album (out on The Sign Records) has the exact amount of progressive touches that makes it one hell of an adventure. We love the shit out of it! It’s getting lauded all over the place, the debut album A Funeral For The World by Sanhedrin. And rightfully so! Just read Bucky’s words over on their Bandcamp: “A Funeral For The World celebrates all things heavy metal with a scorching metallic fuzz overlain by Maiden esque vocal chops and a groove factor off the charts. For any fan of metal, stoner, doom, or hard rock. This will go down as one of the strongest debut metal albums of 2017. Mark my words.” Words marked and awesome record noted!