Only a fool would underestimate The Compulsions founder and frontman, Rob Carlyle. Armed with merely a shoestring budget and a crazy dream, the underground New York rocker remains an undeniable force to be reckoned with.
Even with somewhat limited activity, The Compulsions’ creative output never fails to hit like a nuclear bomb. For most artists in today’s frivolous and forgettable music world, this would be laughable hyperbole. However, there’s simply no denying the mountain of critical acclaim that’s been heaped upon Rob Carlyle & The Compulsions since Day One.
The Compulsions’ newest release, Ferocious, adds to a 17-year long rap sheet of wildly positive press. For example, “A Top 5 Album Of 2020” (Sleaze Roxx), “Think Early ’70s Rolling Stones Transported To Present Day” (Fear & Loathing), “What Rock Was Like When It Was Considered Real” (Underground Press) and even “I Prefer Compulsions Versions Of Guns N’ Roses, Rolling Stones Songs” (Get Ready To Rock). Combined with ratings such as “10 Out Of 10” (Powerplay Magazine) and “9 Out Of 10” (Vive Le Rock), and it’s hard to describe Ferocious as anything less than a rock ‘n’ roll masterpiece.
Ferocious was released on November 13, 2020 via Compulsions Records and now, seven months later, an accompanying video has suddenly been unleashed on the unsuspecting public. Here’s what Rob had to say about the vid for “Band Of Thieves,” which features many of the heavies who performed on Ferocious, including ex-Gunner, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and David Bowie guitarist, Earl Slick.
“The studio footage you’re about to see has been on my phone for the last four or five years. Good thing I didn’t drop it in the toilet, because now the video that’s been playing in my head can finally become a reality – and thanks to my editor friend, Anthony Marinelli, it’s even better than I imagined.”
The track, “Band Of Thieves,” and the video were both influenced by the Road Warrior films, as Rob explained to Australia’s The Rockpit in his track-by-track breakdown of Ferocious:
“For ‘Band Of Thieves,’ I deliberately kept the lyrics kinda vague, so you can’t tell if I’m singing about a marauding motorcycle gang or a rock ‘n’ roll band. ‘Band Of Thieves’ is inspired by the soundtrack to Mad Max: Fury Road by Junkie XL. It’s funny because there’s the monster double-neck guitar player in Fury Road and this song features Bumblefoot on monster double-neck guitar!”
Also appearing in the video are local luminaries and frequent Compulsions collaborators: drummer Brian Delaney (ex-New York Dolls), bassist Alec Morton (ex-Raging Slab), guitarist Hugh Pool (New York Blues Hall Of Fame Master Artist), keyboardist Andrew Sherman (Butter Music + Sound), and producer Ken Rich (Grand Street Recording).
“I remember when Ken played me the first mix of ‘Band Thieves.’ It felt like my teeth had been kicked in,” recalls Carlyle. “Which is exactly what we were going for. I hope that everyone who plays the song and the video experiences the same kind of musical beatdown.”
