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JACKYL
25
Mighty Loud

What does one expect a 25th anniversary album to sound like when the band is one that brought the “chainsaw solo” to the main stage? It sounds exactly like you would expect it to…like their moonshine can kick your cocaine’s ass. It is a conglomeration of the songs that exploded onto rock radio in 1992 and have been entertaining hordes of redneck punks for a quarter of a century. The band’s original lineup consisted of vocalist Jesse James Dupree, guitarists Jeff Worley and Jimmy Stiff, bassist Tom Bettini and drummer Chris Worley. The current incarnation of the band does not include either Stiff or Bettini but is rather a four piece that includes Dupree, the Worley brothers and bassist Roman Glick. Consistent touring over the years as well as albums released at regular intervals has kept the band active and fans have stayed as true to them in 2017 as they did when they first appeared.

The album starts strong with songs like “Cut The Crap” and “I Stand Alone”. When the band’s self-titled album debuted, “I Stand Alone” was an instant radio hit and put the band on the map via Geffen Records. The grungy yet appealing boys from Georgia had an undeniable groove that was downright fun and dirty but had all the chops of more technical bands in the metal market. They were not southern rock, they were not a hair band and they were not power metal; they had a combination of speed, stealth, heaviness and raunchiness that put them in a class all their own.

This disc spans the band’s 25-year catalog and showcases the songs that have garnered them the most attention. Tunes like “Push Comes To Shove”, “Just Because I’m Drunk”, and “Rally” keep the band’s tongue-in-cheek, humorous groove in the forefront. Each song packs a punch and has just the right amount of the filthy fun one would expect from a JACKYL song while still highlighting that this is a band that is technically superior to others of their genre.

Jeff and Chris Worley are machines who are perfectly in time with each other and Roman Glick is a flawless addition to their debauched musical flavor. Dupree is what he is; fun, loud, and the embodiment of the grandest of stage presences. Standouts on the album include the live version of “Redneck Punk” and “When Will It Rain”. “Hot And Nasty” and “Favorite Sin” are as erotic and decadent now as they were when we first heard them and “Screwdriver” and “Kill The Sunshine” continue to rock steady. And of course, there is the ever present “The Lumberjack”; The song that made you laugh and rock at the same time; the song that made you stare at the radio and say to yourself “what the hell did I just listen to?” while at the same time making you want to hear it over and over again. It’s the song that makes the crowd at any JACKYL show roar and will always help you keep in mind that they invented that “new stainless steel sound.” Hats off to you boys…you’ve still got it.

5.0 Out Of 5.0

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