Muscular hard rock with vocals that feel like they’re whiskey soaked at the bottom end and vaguely Soundgarden-like at the top end, make the driving rocker that opens this album ‘Celebrate and Kneel’ and interesting proposition and none too shabby. It’s certainly and energetic way to open up the album and one that certainly makes an impact.
And of course real rock and roll has always been about harnessing that power – taking a riff and turning it up to ear splitting level and seeing who blinks first…
There’s a similarly powerful vocal but a little more QOTSA quirkiness to the hard groove of ‘Ain’t Time For This’ and right up there wit that power and blunt force is ‘Deathrow’ which also overflows with dark and brooding overtly political lyrics. There are subtleties at play though – the deep Soundgarden groove of ‘Play With Fire’ is very satisfying and the stripped back bluesy rant that is ‘Riddles’ which might even be one of the standouts here.
The rest of the album mixes Clutch and COC into the soup of Sabbath and Soundgarden without sounding derivate of any of those bands. ‘Caged Emotions’ is a brooding, building giant of a song reminiscent of Badmotorfinger-era Soundgarden and together with the power of ‘Black N’ Blue’ and closer ;Underdog’ you get the real feeling that these guys are going to get a lot of attention when this hits the streets.
Owl Company are: Felipe Ruiz – Guitars | Enrico Minelli – Vocals | Fabio Yamamoto – Bass | Thiago Biasoli – Drums