JETTBLACK
GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
The sound may not be original but boy this is a band for whom it all seems to fall together nicely and here we have a great album that makes their long-term future look as rosy as it could be in today’s climate!
Kicking off with ‘Straight to the point’; a catchy sleazy rock-out that recalls the simplicity of early Crue; Jettblack is clearly a band that does not lack confidence and doesn’t hold back.
Lyrically we are not too far from old school sleaze/metal cliché territory ‘Two Hot Girls’ may demonstrate the best schoolboy lyrics available but that is all part of Jettblack’s charm. This ain't meant to be a philosophical discourse it's supposed to be on your face (maybe in your face maybe not!).
After the two openers things do dip a little but not much: ‘Sister’ won't blow you away but is saved by yet another catchy chorus and that's really where Jettblack are so strong; even the weaker dongs have enough redeeming qualities to elevate the guys past the status of ‘also rans’ into potential contender stakes. Like Reckless Love and Crazy Lixx these guys might just be the third band you will learn to love this year…
Even the change of pace that comes with ‘Fooled by a Rose’ works for them. It's not too often you are happy to play an album back to back almost from the off.
‘War Between Us’ displays some delicate guitar before coming to life with a sound that recalls the biggest and best names of the late eighties. There's something about the song that I can't quite put my finger on but it's a definite keeper, even though not the most obviously infectious song here.
I think it is the fact that Jettblack just aren’t afraid to do what they like here that makes the album. This isn’t straight sleaze at all it’s deeper, more layered, sure there are the hair metal influences, a bit of Whitesnake maybe, but there’s NWOBHM and trash too. To be honest you just get the feeling that these guys like their rock music and let’s just hope the UK gives tem the support they deserve.
Maybe it's testing the water, finding their sound or just seeing what gets the biggest pull that explains the variety here, I personally don’t care, it’s just too cool!
The title track takes us back to the basic sleaze template and it does the trick again with its early, dirty Crue sound. This one will kill it in the live for sure.
‘Not Even Love’ looks in another direction entirely; it’s a semi-ballad that is part ‘Black Velvet’ and almost part Darkness-infused melodic rock till we hit the chorus that cites hair metal balladry at its best. The darkness comparison here is an interesting one that makes me wonder what that band could have been if they had played it straight! (see what you think). It’s one of my favourites here though a little out of kilter with the majority on display here.
‘Mother Fucker’ owes a debt to metal for its riff and the funny thing is that the expected excess the title suggests never materialises! It’s more Thin Lizzy than thrash and a bloody good song with far less bad language than you might imagine!
Jettblack is a great band and this album is well worthy of your pennies. The songs are simple and to the point, not straying to far from the verse- chorus-verse-chorus formula too much. Everything here is well written catchy, and fun.
‘Sleep’ is pretty traditional rock and the only song that didn’t click with me initially though it grows on you. We get back on track with the stuttering ‘Holding’ which is a definite highlight and then all too soon it’s over with the final track ‘Innocence is Mine’ which has a nice acoustic intro and lays the almost NWOBHM riff and feel on the table.
A nice start: check them out!
Mark
