Budderside - Spiritual Violence album re

Budderside - Spiritual Violence

Release Date – 26th March 2021

Album review by; Nick

The Los Angeles rock scene comes across a little bit on the quiet side these days, but there has been one band that has been making waves for the past five or so years. Budderside are a band who bring their own unique slice of rock n roll to the table, a band who does not sound like anyone else out there. Combining Sleaze Rock with elements of classic hard rock, metal, grunge, and even little hints of progressive rock in places the band are truly a force to be reckoned with in the future to come. Signed to the great Lemmy’s Motorhead label and championed by none other than Phil Campbell himself. The band are looking to become the future of our beloved genre. Let’s look at their latest release and sophomore album, Spiritual Violence.

The album kicks off with a bang with the song Wide Awake, a scorching opener which gets you out on the open road from 0-60 in second's flat. A superb driving song with harmonious vocals, solid drumming, and crunchy riffs. It sets the album up perfectly. We tone it down a little with Zen; fans will already be familiar with the single which was released back in December. I love Stone’s vocals on this track and there are some interesting chord progressions and key changes which almost show a progressive influence with them. The song is very atmospheric and has a certain intensity about it that gives it a moody feel.

The next track Amber Alert, features Carla Harvey from the Butcher Babies. This song has a bit of a grunge feel to it, and I can almost hear traces of Alice In Chains there. Carla pulls off some amazing backing vocals here which compliment Stone nicely. The album features quite a few guests, and the next song is no different, featuring the great Phil Campbell, former Motorhead guitarist, now playing in a band with his sons. Pardon Me raises the bar a little and the moody guitar interlude in the middle of the song really came to my attention. The guitar riffs in the song have a stoner rock influence on them that create a hard-hitting punch. The song builds and builds and makes a great tribute to the great Lemmy himself. He would be proud.

Moving into I’m A Man, the next song begins with a beefy chugging bass line. It reminds me of Stone Temple Pilots in places, but you can also hear 70s era Aerosmith coming through also. The chorus is very sing-along and will make you want to pour your heart out from the rooftops. With Folsom Prison Blues, they pull the song off very well. Delivering their own style while still respecting the original. The western feel is still there as is Johnny Cash’s famous train chug, but Budderside throw in their own hard rock flavour too and deliver an enjoyable cover.

Things We Do is a beautiful trippy song that you can’t really pinpoint. This band doesn’t pigeonhole themselves into one style and every song brings something fresh to the table. This is quite an emotional song and the lyrics are very thought provoking and hit home in places. The vocal harmonies in this song are something I haven’t heard in years and almost takes you back to 70s era Queen with their harmonies. The song finishes with a beautiful little piano outro. We then go into a dark and moody intro for the next song Feels So Good, with Stone delivering the opening lyrics almost hypnotising you with his voice. More sludgy riffs which complement the songs message about coming back from the dark side and living life to the fullest.

Soul Searches is my personal favourite song on the album. The chorus is very catchy and sing-along, it’s a huge anthemic song and again shows the band are not one trick ponies and deliver a lot to the table. Stone delivers another fine vocal performance ranging from spoken word to bombastic vocal harmonies. I think one of the reasons this song is my favourite is that very reason, its diversity.

We end the album on a high with Day Go Bah; the song delivers a punching heavy metal style tempo which would make any live performance proud. There’s even hip-hop scratching in this but don’t let that put you off the song as there are still plenty of power chords and chunky bass to keep you wanting more, a perfect album closer.

If you like your rock meat and potatoes but you still love the exotic flavours on the side? Then this is a band and an album for you. Plenty of short punchy songs, with strong guitar riffs, melodic vocals, and a rhythm section to die for. Budderside will surely give you your money’s worth and much more as they bring a lot to the table.

Lemmy didn’t sign these guys for nothing, and I believe he saw the future of rock n roll with them in toe. The torch has truly been passed and the flame is burning. Here is to a bright and rocking future for the guys.

Album Rating – 4.5/5