Following the release of 2014’s ‘Something Supernatural’, Crobot hit the road, and toured with the likes of Motörhead, Anthrax, Volbeat, Clutch, The Sword, and more, as well as also hitting the festival circuit. Towards the end of 2015 they found themselves in Austin, Texas, with a week to spare and started work on pre-production for the second album with Machine (Lamb Of God, Clutch, Gym Class Heroes). They returned at the end of January 2016, and from there emerged with this album, which was then mixed by Alan Moulder (Foo Fighters, Wolfmother, Royal Blood, Led Zeppeling, Nine Inch Nails). The result is something that doesn’t sound as if it was released in 2016, but more as if it was released some forty-five years earlier!
This is sleazy, blues-based rock with riffs so huge that the listener can use them as an easy chair. There are elements of doom, elements of funk, and the overall impression is that Trapeze have become dirty and nasty and been doing things with Vanilla Fudge that doesn’t make for polite reading. “Hold On For Dear Life” is an obvious case in point, as it moves between styles, and becomes an early Seventies dreamfest with wordless vocals in the background and gentle guitars in front, until it is time to hit the fuzzed and distorted riffs again. If ever an album was soaked in bourbon this was it, yet somehow the guys manage to keep it all together in a way that allows the listener to understand just how tight they are as musicians. This is more than just music, this is attitude and swagger on steroids: the depth and breadth are quite special indeed.
