On Their 8th Album, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Prove They Are Rock And Roll Elite

One listen to the fantastic new album from rock veterans Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will assuredly give you faith that the death of rock and roll has been grossly exaggerated. The band’s eighth album, Wrong Creatures, is a genuine, yet mature punch to the gut as the band continues the sonic direction of Specter At The Feast (2013) and Beat the Devil’s Tattoo (2010). Nearly fifteen years in, the band are continuing to let their sound evolve into continued relevancy, without fully embracing the “dad rock” vibes of so many. The guitar crunch and hazy vocals are still there, but they are perhaps more earnest than ever. It could be a response to drummer Leah Shapiro’s brain surgery, or the fact they had an unusual amount of time to finish the project. “Every record gets a little harder figuring out what to say, trying not to repeat yourself,” shares Peter Hayes (guitar, vocals). “We beat the shit out of ourselves trying to come up with something meaningful.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZb4bYzBqr0]
The album starts with their signature haunting wall of sound intro before launching into “Spook”, which can be described as a rumination on the current state of the world complete with a tempered guitar crunch. “It takes a dead end soul to kill a dead end heart,” sings a band that continues to walk the line of lyrical ambiguity. This might be why so many fans devote themselves to their rock and roll religion. They are free to paint into their ear buds whatever they feel the lyrics mean, while being convinced the song is for them specifically.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CCxuxBQmpk]
“Haunt” is probably the most aptly named track on the album as it unfolds with an outlaw country style guitar tone. The track dips and peaks with extraordinary nimbleness before fading into vocals that would make Trent Reznor take notice. Tracks like “Echo” have come to be expected from the band. It is the slow burner they are known for crafting, and on Wrong Creatures, the group are at their peak. Jams like these are proof the band have crafted a brave and relevant take on the rock ballad. BRMC walk that line of cocky and beauty in a way few bands can.

“I’m a shattered heart,” is mumbled out in the album standout “Questions of Faith” that continues a different guitar tone that is prevalent on this album, and that which sets it apart from earlier releases. The term Psych Rock might be used to describe tracks like this one as well as “Calling Them All Away”. Again, we see the band breaking out of their straight generic rock box and aspiring for more. This is done with gorgeous precision.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjMCDDxCtB8]
No BRMC album would be complete without a phenomenal closer, and Wrong Creatures does not disappoint. The whispered piano ballad “All Rise” is a steady build towards the end of a courageous album that turns critical praise on its head.

The group will be touring extensively with the release and you can catch the dates below:

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB 2018 TOUR

January 15       San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

January 16       Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren

January 18       Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater

January 19       Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

January 20       Houston, TX @ House of Blues

January 21       New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues

January 23       Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor

January 24       Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live

January 26       Orlando, FL @ The Beacham

January 27       Charlotte, NC @ The Underground

January 29       Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

January 30       Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

January 31       Boston, MA @ Royale

February 2       Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel

February 5       Montreal, QC @ Club Soda

February 6       Toronto, ON @ Rebel

February 7       Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre

February 9       Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall

February 10     Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre

February 11     Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

February 12     St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall

February 13      Kansas City, MO @ The Truman

February 15      Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre

February 16      Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

February 18       Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

February 19       Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom

February 20       Seattle, WA @ The Show Box

February 22       Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater

February 23       Pomona, CA @ The Glass House

February 24       Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre


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