Some bands simply worship the 70’s, but this outfit looks like they stumbled out of a dingy London pub back in ’72. (The one dude even has Lemmy’s burnstache!) Named after a distinguished British seaman, these heavy-rock veterans return with their third album for Rise Above.
Keep it Greasy lives up to its moniker in the early going with the bluesy-rock sleezefest “U Got Wot I Need,” which sounds about as Cockney as its moniker suggests. There’s even a few shades of Lemmy, and while they don’t approach Motorhead velocity on this one, there’s still a pretty decent mid-tempo shuffle here. Not sure what’s with the tape rewinding at the end, though…
“Hairy Brain Part 2” serves ‘em up slow ‘n heavy, with a tasty bass-driven riff that recalls the laid-back desert grooves of Fu Manchu or some of Brant Bjork’s solo stuff. Actually, I’d say it leans a bit more towards Brant, especially in the trippier back-half of its seven-minute runtime. “Hawkster Monster” actually reminds me more of The Sword, what with its stop-start riffage, although these vocals have got more grit in ‘em.
Going back a bit further, the cowbell-accented intro of “Paid in Full” reminds me of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” before shifting into a southern, Skynyrd-style stomp. “I’m Movin’” reminds me of the modern-day boogie rock of Mothership, complete with an Iommi-worshipping solo. Nothing wrong with that, at all…
