The Audio Cartels’ self-titled debut is a hard rock affair that will tear your ears off and feed them to you…it’s very wholesome stuff – honest.
From the blistering opener ‘Easy’ it’s all about infectious grooves along with hard, dirty and fast melodies. Follow-up, ‘Like You Flaunt’ catches you and beats you down with some progressive drums, intelligent guitars and raucous vocals that together recall the raw appeal of current punk scene darlings Fucked Up. Next up, ‘Lying Awake’ is a grunge-infected bruiser that will pummel you again until you submit. The fast-paced drum work and top quality guitar breaks work well alongside the reflective words for a real standout on the record. Meanwhile, ‘Take Back’ immediately pulls at the heart strings as funk-influenced guitars soar from the opening into a proper rock chorus that in turn births a track that should appeal and inspire the every man. In contrast, ‘You’re So Good’ is an ode to sleaze rock, it’s brooding and bombastic in equal measure – there’s some seriously anthemic riffage here that knocks up against cascading beats and what is undoubtedly Jesse Hunter’s strongest vocal performance yet.
Moving on, ‘Nasty Habits’ blends the confidence of current Avenged Sevenfold with the variety and sensibility of early Silverchair. This one’s got some style and even though it sticks to the tried-and-tested post-grunge formula of previous tracks, it should still hit you just where you need it to. ‘Nothin’’ fires up with a gin-soaked, glam-punk ode to fu**ing up and getting on with it – it’s simply an upbeat anthem for the damned artists of today.
The final offering on the disk is a straight up, no frills rocker based upon the band’s roots that could potentially turn into a live anthem. The drums help to build toward a massive chorus where the roaring classic elements in the music clash with the dark subject for an emphatic and emotive ending.
While there is certainly room for the band to grow and develop sonically in the future, this debut is ballsy and loud and that’s why we can dig it. To summarise for those who haven’t got it yet, The Audio Cartel sound a little bit like Buckcherry might if they grew some balls. Otherwise fans of everything from The Bronx to Motley Crue will find something to enjoy here as ferocious beats intertwine with classic skyscraping riffs, angst-ridden vocals and the spirit of NYC to create a colourful collection of tunes.
For fans of: Bush, Buckcherry (with balls), Avenged Sevenfold
Check out a video of the band performing ‘You’re So Good’ live below:
For more information visit the official MySpace.
The band will play Dingwalls in London on October 4.
