Sound: The band supposedly founded on a dirt floor in Richmond, Virginia, earns its place as one of the best southern fried, bluesy rockers in the music world today with its latest CD Open Fire. After 10 years in the business, Alabama Thunderpussy might still be unknown to some people out there and that’s frankly a damn shame. The band combines all the best elements of the bluesy rock bands out there, but adds a lot more grit into the equation. In AT’s latest release Open Fire -- the first release since vocalist Kyle Thomas joined the band -- provides riff after memorable riff, with rarely a lull in the energy.
The opening track “The Cleansing” is an incredible track, with a surging tempo and the kind of bluesy riffs that will set the tone for the rest of the album. When you back up all that with powerful, gritty vocals from Thomas, the band just makes you want to hear more. There are definitely a lot of metal bands that dish out memorable guitar licks, there seems to be a decided lack of the bluesy kind and Alabama Thunderpussy is a much-needed addition to this group.
“The Beggar” is broken into a few different sections almost like some metal songs out there, with a slower breakdown about midway through the song. While there’s a great underlying riff that runs throughout most of the song, it’s during the breakdown that the dual guitar harmony from Erik Larson and Ryan Lake comes to the forefront. It’s even recommended to listen to “The Beggar” on headphones if you can because that’s when the intricacy of the guitars is really emphasized.
Even when some songs don’t seem that interesting at first, Alabama Thunderpussy has an amazing way of bringing it all back around by midway through the song. A good example is “None Shall Return,” which actually starts off a bit monotonously. Then all of the sudden the band injects a breakdown somewhat similar to the one heard in “The Cleansing” and it adds a whole other dimension. There are just some really well-planned song structures on Open Fire and the decade-old band definitely deserves some attention for it. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on Open Fire have a similar raw quality, but Alabama Thunderpussy has more intelligent lyrics than you might expect. The band does delve into everything from alcohol to battles, but the cliché themes end up with some originality in the way the lyrics are worded.
The song “Whiskey War” seems to be a song that's a call to battle for those who like a bit of excess in their lives. There are plenty of lines about alcohol and grass, but they are actually unexpectedly creative. You just don’t expect the typical song about alcohol to have lines like, “I won’t pretend I’m aristocracy; I’m just a troop in Whiskey War.” It shows the band put as much thought behind the lyrics as the music.
There is a bit of philosophy that comes through in the lyrics, and it’s fun to hear the bands take on things. In “Words Of The Dying Man,” the band gives you a bit of what you might expect from the title. While the words of wisdom might not provide everyone with an epiphany, there is always a little twist that at least makes them interesting. Vocalist Kyle Thomas sings, “Greener grass on other hills; Happiness is not a pill; When damage is done; One should not grieve; The door hits your ass when you leave.” // 9
Impression: This marks the band’s first album since vocalist Kyle Thomas joined the band, and it’s also likely to signal a huge breakthrough. Thomas has the chops to hold his own against extremely talented guitarists and the result is just a killer collection of tracks.
The unique name 'Alabama Thunderpussy’ definitely draws you in to at least find out a bit more about the southern band, but it will be the music that will seal the deal. Thanks to the guitar work of Larson and Lake, the band hits high point after high point on Open Fire. The chemistry between the two guitarists is comparable to the work in Valient Thorr, and it’s nice to have more bands that are providing good old fashioned blues riffs. // 9
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isn't this mark mortons side band thing?
nice album art too :P definetly gonna check this out