I really like this. ‘Black 13’ have the retro feel of a band like ‘Back Robot’ but with a sleazier, bluesier sound and plenty of grunt and gas in the tank. Opener ‘Sin City Living’ is a great song to introduce you to the band and its clear from the off that these Houston natives know how to rock as soon as the ‘Circus of Power-style’ bluesy grind of ‘I Found Out’ kicks in. It’s unfair though to reel off comparisons as these guys have their own distinctive take on American hard rock and metal and we like it.
On an album that really satisfies there are some tracks that stand out more than others but if you start with the likes of the acoustic-led meandering gentle sway of ‘Always’ which proves a wonderful heartfelt contrast to the rockier staples here; or the bluesy swagger and sway of the sticky molasses-cut Rye of the enigmatic ‘Rio’ or even the beautifully constructed journey that ‘Angels’ takes you on, then you’ll get a taste of the variety and reach of the band. Indeed place that needle anywhere in the groove and you cant go far wrong.
And if you like those selections there’s plenty more where that came from and hopefully plenty more from this band. If we’re picking favourites then mine might just be the huge groove laid down in ‘Wys’ (what’s your story) which really hits the spot. This is great work.