We’re lucky to have some great Hard Rock Music in Australia and Scott Ginn’s solo project Mazz-XT’s latest release (on which he provides everything bar a coupe of solos) is a case in point. After delivering the goods with his 2015 release ‘At the brink of eternity’ and the 30th anniversary release of his 1986 ‘One Man Army’ LP, Ginn’s solo work is something you need to hear, and this might just be his best work yet.
If you love you Rock firmly entrenched in the hullabaloo of the 80’s but with a classic rock twist then single ‘Twisted’ might have already caught your ear, if not, then check it out along with the previously released title track – a song with an Aerosmith-like groove that might well be the oldest song here.
‘Only the quick and the dead’ has something for everyone who loves their Hard Rock whether it’s the riffs of Powerage vintage AC/DC, the unpolished patina of early Def Leppard (or Australian band BB Steal), or the even earthier, Blusier, tones of nascent Bad Company. The album features a collection of 12 new recordings (largely) written between 2017 and 2018 and is a great listen for a rocking road trip, getting ready for a gig or just to simply annoy those neighbours.
The best thing though is perhaps the ability to dip in at any point – opener ‘Look No Touch’ bursts with passion and energy but it’s only the first shot over the boughs, the diversity comes next with the heavier demi-ballad ‘Save My Life’ which shows an appreciation of weightier influences.
Tracks like ‘Long Hard Look At Yourself’ are where the real meat is – think vintage AC/DC at their commercial best; and when you add its immediate neighbour ‘Weighed Down’ you hear another side completely – vintage Def Leppard: it’s a song dripping with hooks and this pair just might fight it out for the very best here.
That’s not to say there’s not plenty more gas in the tank though. ‘Weight of the World’ might even sport the most impressive chorus, but the very next track ‘Can’t Take My Rock ‘n’ Roll puts the foot down again and stomps back into AC/DC territory.
Closing out the album the epic ‘When Your Heart is Broken’ adds that touch of Bad Co I mentioned earlier, but if that’s not enough then try ‘Source Of My Disease’ which rides us back to riff land. The album closes surprisingly with a blast from the distant past – a cover of ‘Hard ‘n’ Fast’ a song by ‘Boss’ the Adelaide/Sydney band that went on to morph into BB Steal (and whose sole album featured Scott on bass) it’s a nice tribute to his roots and probably my pick of the ‘Step On It’ album it originally appeared on.
All I can say is ‘wow’ they do it seems make ’em like they used to. I’m not quite sure how many years Scott Ginn has chalked up in the business but I have little hesitation saying this is the album of his career (so far)…
‘Only the quick and the dead’ is available in digital format and as a limited edition CD from the Mazz-XT Music Bandcamp site https://mazz-xt.bandcamp.com and directly from Utopia Records.
