By Monk
I think it’s probably fairly safe to say that we’ve all had one of “those” nights… you know, the sort where you wake up in the morning, wondering not only where the fuck you were the night before, but also what the fuck you got up to – and especially what you were drinking to make you feel so bad – and how the fuck you found your way back to the safety of your bed? And, of course, it’s an even freakier experience when it happens in a strange city… I should know, it has happened to me on a few occasions (I blame Czech vodka and Dutch gin, but that’s another story for another day…). And it is this sort of thing that is the inspiration behind the title track of this, the latest EP from Vancouver hard rockers (and, by the sounds of it, even harder drinkers) Rebel Priest…
With the classic power trio line-up of bass/vocals, guitars and drums, it should perhaps come as no surprise that an immediate reference point is Motörhead – not that these guys are copycats, but there is a heavy NWoBHM, a la Raven et al, feel to their underlying sound, especially in the dense, rumbling bass lines and the gritty, shouted vocals, both provided by Jayme Black.
After taking us on a rock ‘n’ pub crawl through the bars of the Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku districts, these three priests – brother Benny Kemp and friar Nate Pole provide guitars and drums respectively, as well as supporting gang vocals – treat us to some ‘Back Alley Blues’ before engaging us in a ‘Vulgar Romance’… But, hey, I ain’t complaining, as I enjoy getting down ‘n’ dirty as much as the next man, especially when the metal is pumping loud and proud.
Finally, ‘The Whip Comes Down’ with a cover of a song by a band called Slash Puppets – another outfit of whom, like Rebel Priest, I had never heard before this short, sharp and to-the-point EP landed on my desk. RP have been ripping up venues on Canada’s west coast (and Japan, natch) for around six years now, and have four albums (one of them a live recording) under their belts. Sorry we’re late to the party, guys, but I hope we’re making up for lost time… Now, pass me another cold one \m/
- ‘Lost In Tokyo’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
www.facebook.com/rebelpriestofficial
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.