Over the last three years or so, we’ve been lucky enough to be able to review the Second Coming Of Heavy albums. A series of split records that are designed to showcase some of the best bands you might not have heard of.
The last one was incredible as Chapter VII saw Fuzz Evil and the mighty Switchblade Jesus team up for fun and fuzzy frolics.
Chapter VIII is one of the most disparate there’s been. Both geographically – Ride The Sun hail from the California warmth, while The Trikes are from the European drizzle of Dresden – but also sonically as the two bands sound pretty much nothing like each other, beyond the fact that both are ace.
RTS are the first out of the blocks and their five are greasy, dirty, oil soaked Motorhead-ish fun. If you are looking for a handle on their stuff then this will do you: “bust our ass, all day long and we rock all night” sings Ly Arboleda (actually “sings” does him a disservice as he essentially gargles gravel over some fast lead), a line which he follows up with “we like it loud, with our peckers out.” Quite.
That’s not to say its all bluster. “Karma Wastes” gets bonus points for both cowbell and for sounding like Thin Lizzy in places and if “Step To The Square” is like a slowed down Zeke (in fairness everything is slower than Zeke) then that’s just fine too, while their final cut, “Bail” has the air of Soundgarden, if, that is, Soundgarden had cut albums in the swamp.
The Trikes are a little more considered, but the trio (and three-pieces rule!) understand the pain of being born out of time. “Sordid Love” is late 60’s riffery from start to finish. Proto metal in the vein of Blue Cheer, and blues is meant to be played like Cream after all.
You imagine seeing The Trikes live might be a more sprawling thing than seeing Ride The Sun. If the latter is all about the here and now, then TT are about feel and texture. “Nowhere” is mellifluous, “Forgotten Sins” occupies a different place altogether and lives and dies by its lead freak out, while the closing “Be Yourself” is heavier and sees them switch to a higher gear before racing off to the fast lane for all kinds of nefariousness.
At MV we didn’t know these bands before, but we do now. And that’s the point. That’s why these compilations exist, and this chapter is hard to put down.
Rating 8/10
