Another day, another supergroup. This lot, though, are a little nastier than the hard-rock aristocracy usually gathered under that banner.
The Limit bring together Sonny Vincent of Testors, Pentagram frontman Bobby Liebling, Slime drummer Alex Schwers, Dawnrider guitarist Hugo Conim and U.D.O./Dirkschneider guitarist Dee Dammers, with Alex Farrar on bass. That is quite a pedigree, but Another Drop is not interested in trading on old reputations. It sounds dangerous enough to make some new ones.
“Another Drop Of Blood” begins with punk-edged menace, much of it contained in the guitar work, while Liebling has that unmistakable way of delivering the words: part sneer, part warning and part confession. “Don’t Say Try” carries a touch of Motörhead’s urgency. The title matters. They are not trying; they are doing it, right now, whether you like it or not.
“Reverb In My Soul” is effectively a two-minute manifesto, while “Know Your Indecision” provides further evidence that Sonny Vincent has no business sounding this dangerous at 74. Frankly, its harmonies are so wonderfully snotty that they sound as though the band are still sniffing glue out the back.
“The balance beam ain’t what it seems,” they offer on “(Just A) Calling Card”, and there is a healthy dose of nihilism surrounding everything. Alex Schwers sounds as though he is enjoying himself enormously behind the kit, something which carries into “Social Eyes”, where the entire band appear to be having a fine old time.
“Stalemate” is the sort of song that sounds incredibly simple but doubtless is not. “Sidetracked”, meanwhile, is gloriously raw and almost proto-punk. Except it is 2026, everything has already been done and The Limit simply do it with more conviction than most.
Look, Steve Stevens guests on “Part Two, Screw You”. It is cooler than your song. That is just how things are.
Then comes “Over A Cliff”, which is just about the most exciting anything has sounded in 2026. It feels permanently on the brink of collapse without ever losing control, before “Cause Of Mystery” underlines just how ridiculously catchy these songs are underneath all the grime.
“Fall Down, Get Up” slows the pace simply to become even more menacing, like some terrible acid trip at Woodstock from which nobody has quite recovered. “Keep walking by,” goes the chorus to “Panzer”, and it sounds less like advice than a threat.
Farrar’s bass anchors “Tryptophan”, but when they sing “batteries not included”, you wonder whether anyone has told them. They sound like the Duracell Bunny after someone replaced the batteries with jet fuel.
Closer “Unchained” finds Liebling offering, “I’m in such a mess,” but the band do not sound remotely confused. If anything, they sound completely certain of their purpose.
They sound like they mean every second of it. Like they are ready to take it to the limit, one more time.
I’ll show myself out.
RATING 9/10
