Volbeat – Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood [Review]
Scan’d from booklet
I would like to give you my opinions and thoughts about this incredible album of Danish heavy metal band called Volbeat. Their newest album, “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood” went straight to my heart.
One of my favorite songs on this album is “Still Counting”, which opens up with a reggae-fied guitar beat, and mixing classical thrash with reggae is something new for me, I haven’t heard it before. And as the reggae fan I am, I can’t resist on giving this song a top grade, it has it all: awesome words, awesome guitars, awesome bass licks and pounding, ass kicking and ear-raping drums
In the booklet you get when you buy the album, you have these small notes before the lyrics. For this one it says:
This one is about one of the persons living in “The 10 houses”. He sits in the bar talking to one of the guitar gangsters.
The first lines in the song goes like this: “Counting all the assholes in the room, well I am definitely not all, well I’m not alone. You’re a liar, you’re a cheater, you’re fool”
This brings me back to song number 1 (2 if counting with the intro) “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood” that tells you a story of a guitar gangster that sees “10 small houses” and goes into a The Bar. The Bar also brings me back to their first single from this album, “Maybelenne i Hofteholder” where this old man sings about a lovely stripper he saw at table 45 in “the Bar”. It gets confusing while only reading this, but if you buy the album, you’ll understand, hehe.
Saturday I love you like gold. Not like the Monday, you pass like a ghost.
The main concept of this record is that it’s following a story that goes through their previous records: “Rock The Rebel / Metal The Devil” and “The Strength / The Sound / The Songs”.
I love that they aren’t getting away from this 50s sound that they have going on, the Rock-a-metal-billy thing, or what they call themselves on their MySpace “Metal that even your Mom would like”. I am not so sure that my mom would like all the songs on their albums but maybe the most catchy ones.
I also have to mention that they had, as they had in “The Strength / The Sound / The Songs” album, a cover. Their first cover was a song with Dusty Springfield called “I only wanna be with You”, that gave Volbeat a pop-ier feeling, with its catchy lyrics. This time, the cover is called “Making Believe” which was a bombastic hit single back in the 50s. I also can connect this song to their Social Distortion influences, they have also recorded this song.
Update – 13 September: Another cover on this album is “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” which was recorded by Hank Williams in 1949, which gave him first spot on “Billboard Country Singles” the same year.
At last I want to thank Volbeat, and their crew for showing us what real rock n’ roll is a about, with a pure and raw Metal sound. Cheers!
Please rate this review below to your right
Scan’d from booklet
Just saw Volbeat Live in Aarhus, Denmark. These guys ROCKS!
Matt
Sunny Las Vegas
http://www.personalizedpacifiers.com
This was a bit of a disapointment for me. But, the other two cds by this band are the shit. They just gotta resist that urge to go mainstream. This can work for some bands but these guys need to keep the raw edge and underground feel.
How do keep an underground status when every1 is loving you? Talking that underground shit isn’t relevant anymore, they are played everywhere and every1 wants them in their arena/venue…
But as you say, they might get more polished in their sound, but i still love them, and I think that the new album is the best, but it doesn’t have a song like “Gardens Tale” which is a huge song, bombastic e.t.c
Good point, well I look forward to more from them. I liken my ‘underground’ comment to…… like, what happend to ZZ Top. They’ve always been good but they really kinda started soundin like Def Leppard for awhile. Then Quinten Tarentino was looking for music from the ‘Top’ for the movie Dusk till Dawn.
The boys turn in a song that they thought would be rejected (She’s Just Killin Me) ’cause of dirty poor production. It actually sounded ‘f’in awesome!!Dirty, Mean wicked ZZTop. That’s been my favorite Top tune since I first got the soundrack to D till D.
Hallo All
I myself come from Denmark and have seen Volbeat over 20 times by now. These guys are are awesome indeed, and they always deliver.
What I find absolutely fantastic, is there ability to connect with their fans. I havent experienced ONE concert where they guys havent come out to talk to their fans and drink a cold beer.
They are so down to earth and I wish them the best of luck in the States. Damn I so wish I could be there to see them in concert in the US and show them true For Helvede Support, Bogø Branch.
To all of you just learning about this band … Give them a chance. Check them out on youtube
yeah i know what u are thinking, i follow this band, crashdiet, they were more raw before they got that record deal, after that the sound went way more polished then it should have sounded, still was a killer album, but the demos are awesome compared to the "Rest in Sleaze" album…
good comment, we want more like you to comment on this site, someone else that can confirm the awesome of the bands we are writing about, and especially Volbeat!
I happy you like the info
I can only recommend you visit http://www.volbeatforum.dk where an English and German forumpage is accessible.
Join the fun and send me a pm. Im Mr.Humbuk in the forum.
Right now we have in Denmark really excellent metal bands. For some reason Danish metal have flourished (maybe they always have been and I just recently figured this out hehe).
We have Submission. A Danish hardcore metal band with a great voice like Phil from Pantera
http://www.submission-ragecage.dk/
Mercenary: A great example on fast metal with a deep growl voice combined with a higher pitched voice .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp2K4edK9sA
Some of my favorites right now :
The Burning: Slower metal but very melodic indeed. Deep and heavy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIkBhWxeWzs
I have many more if you interested in some great Metal from Denmark
Dang
I just spent ages typing a long comment, but when I tried to send it my browser did something really weird.
Did you get it or do I need to redo it?
Try again plz
Just saw Volbeat – 26 Aug 2010 – in San Francisco, by far, one of the best live acts I’ve ever seen. Awesome blends of old school/rock/metal/country. Cant understand the multiple negative reviews or why they havent gotten more recognition here in the U.S. Honestly the first band in this Genre I’ve truly LOVED since Metallica sold out/commercialized after Black. Keep rocking VOLBEAT!