A certain amount of excitement develops whenever Satan’s Satyrs release some new work. The band remains active with a steady stream of LP’s, split releases and EP’s but “The Lucky Ones” does find them in a slightly different space with their sound bolstered by a twin guitar attack. Nate Towle is the extra six stringer joining Jarrett Nettnin to create a sonic force. Clayton Burgess, who spent time in Electric Wizard, continues on bass and vocal duties while drummer Stephen Fairfield completes this quite unique gathering.

That familiar, greasy sound embroils straight away on “Thrill Of The City”. This is a glam rock tinged track nicely metalled up with a Stooges inspired grind. The second guitar gives it a fatter sound than on earlier albums as savage little licks punctuate some sweet strutting grooves that are guaranteed to make you move. There’s elements of the first wave of British punk that creep in on the title track with vocals that have a high pitched anarchic dare to their tone but its tracks like “She Beast” where the essence of Satan’s Satyrs really show. Like a messed up Mick Ronson jamming with Blue Cheer and deciding to get a little evil, it’s a fucked up sleazy cacophony that’s gloriously gritty. The beauty lies in the completely natural rawness and sense of freedom that accompanies it.

The band aren’t afraid to take a melodic turn either. The Woodstock era vibe of “Take It And Run” is a neat foil to the biting riffs of “Too Early To Fold” where Clayton Burgess’ vocals mix the high end shriek stylings of Budgie’s Burke Shelley with a maniacal Ozzy Osbourne infused drone. The twin guitars serve to become a stronger element the longer the album progresses. The slightly demented sound of “Trampled By Angels” with an off kilter quirk creates a sense of the ridiculous that in some ways encapsulates the very idea of Satan’s Satyrs. Like a twisted, evil carnival swirling around in your ears it couples well with closing track “Permanent Darkness” where the listener is pulled in multiple directions – a schizophrenic track that’s oddball on one hand and engagingly riffy on the other. The whole affair is compressed with a total running time of under 40 minutes with no track seemingly out of place or overstaying it’s welcome.

Fans of this band will take delight in this new album and the continued growth of their persona. Newcomers are likely to want to delve into the back catalogue and immerse themselves in the rather unique world that Satan’s Satyrs have managed to create. Pure escapist heavy metal at its finest.

(8/10 Johnny Zed)

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