Youngblood Supercult - The Great American Death Rattle (2017)

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Youngblood Supercult - The Great American Death Rattle (2017)

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After their critically acclaimed sophomore LP “High Plains” Youngblood Supercult delivers a fiery new LP. First the superb cover with the subtle socio-political connotations (an almost rotten horse, meaning the collapse of the american pride maybe?) and 10 tunes so full of heavy organic blues with retro qualities and an aura of roots rock delivered through Smith’s warm and fuzzy guitar playing. The Great American Death Rattle is evoking an emotional atmosphere with the qualities of pure soulful rock ‘n’ roll.

The eponymous track sets the tone. A simple distorted riff that sets the swamp blues scenery. The guitar melodies evade further away whilst the structure resembles Down‘s “Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow“. “Burning Messiah” showcases David Merill’s vocals’ quality that resonates with early proto-doom acts or even some NWOBHM stuff. The melodies have this epic yet distant sorrowful feeling. “Draugr” hits hard with its doom riff progression and echoing vocals while Wormood feels like the lost cousin of “N.I.B” and Ι am not talking about the vocal resemblance but the thickened bass underneath! Reaching the second half of this LP, “The Hot Breath Of God” has the sweet melancholic feeling that Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats incorporate in their sounds. Staying in the same state of sound and mind, you can lose yourself on the dreamy psychedelic tunes of “Master Of None“. The penultimate “Liberty or Death” shakes up the pace a bit but doesn’t go away from the archetypal 70s hard rock legacy. Finally, you can feel the desperation in David’s vocals on the last song and the soulful solo like you are in an old bar of the West and a blues band jamming in front of you… All members are responsible for creating the final and spectacular result. Stellar guitar performance by Bailey Smith resembling her personal heroes (i guess) from folk rock all the way to Peter Green’s blues work with Fleetwood Mac and Wino’s doom playing. Also top notch rhythm section by Weston Alford on drums and Brad Morris on bass guitar and the distinctive vocal tone of David Merill. Maybe is my idea but they remind me of All Them Witches, not only in terms of the usage of folk rock elements but also the way the members interact with each other as they play and jam. This nostalgic, dreamy, warm and at the same time numbing sensation, this sweet yet melancholic feeling… There is something about this band that you can feel that they can make it. A natural flow in their instrumentation and a solid record that emits strong feelings. And I personally believe that is one of the most important factors to make people trust you and check what you offer.