I recently had the pleasure of interviewing this band, and then reviewing the guys’ show an hour or so later. Wolfmother, a trio from Sydney, Australia, has a passion for music and a healthy respect for the great rockers of yesteryear. The band’s music is heavily laced with heavy rock influences that become even more obvious from listening to this debut album.

Dimension is an explosive opener with reminders of Hendrix and Black Sabbath gushing out of every groove. The bass vibe is seriously deep, while the guitar riffs are both angry and rampant. There’s also a strong melody while the vocal seems almost buried underneath the instrumental onslaught. Great! Next up is the less-dense sound of White Unicorn with classic Who style riffs and some nifty bass guitar work. Terrific choruses, terrific strangled vocal, terrific everything… Check out the quieter keyboard moments that somehow manage to sit comfortably with the heavy rock vibe. It’s another winner. There’s no respite as the express train flies past in the shape of the bouncing Woman, with more Hendrix style riffs, and Hammond competing for attention. Where Eagles Have Been is a glorious moment of beautiful respite, with its lovely pleading vocal and superb acoustic opening. Things do get noisy again, but it’s well controlled with melody coming to the fore, and more quiet passages easing by. This could be THE single… and especially with that superb guitar outro that fades into space. Apple Tree picks up where punk left off, and this time the drums have it! The vibe is jagged and dangerous, while the diving bass guitar and machine gun vocal complete an incredible rock package. A singing, single guitar riff opens The Joker & The Thief before it opens out into another bold punk winner. This one should be played in alternative dance clubs up and down the country, as well as being a front seat passenger in your next car journey. Fantastic!

Other highlights include the lumbering rocker Mind’s Eye with its glacially-paced and quite glacial moments, Witchcraft with it’s Hendrix-esque guitar feel, and Tales with its highly original sound and deft changes of pace. If you like your modern rock to smell of all the best shit from the glory age, then you will love this wonderful album. A fabulous rock debut with not a dead pixel in sight, and strongly recommended.

4.5/5