Rock titans put pedal to the metal but mislay the melodies on their ninth outing.
Dave Grohl & Co’s storming Glasto set this year already feels like a distant memory as the autumnal chill sets into our collective bones – so can Concrete And Gold blast the blues away?
The likelihood is you’ll have already heard The Line’s uninspired, widescreen pop-rock, heavy voice-shredder The Sky Is A Neighbourhood, or Run’s industrial grind of a headbanger.
The latter’s a fair indicator of the best of the rest on Concrete And Gold, which strings out a handful of memorable motifs, melodies and Motörhead homages.
Its beating, bloodied heart starts with Make It Right’s riot of guitars and fractious, pin-sharp drums placed up-front. After The Sky Is A Neighbourhood comes the turbocharged industrial motorik of La Dee Da.
Grohl’s usually accessible angst only really connects on Arrows, a Foos’ cookie-cutter classic of muscular power-pop, semi-poetic lyrics, molten-lead guitar and thumping drums.
It’s hard to get excited about the rest, from the sluggish Sunday Rain to Dirty Water’s hapless, quiet-to-loud, synths-and-acoustic mess. Ho-hum.
Rating: 2/5
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here