Sons Of Death Valley - Fathers Of The Free album review

Your enjoyment of this Roskilde quintet’s second album will rest largely on your appreciation of two things: bluesy, Southern rock riffs and slightly trite lyrics about cowboys. Essentially the intersection of Every Time I Die and a John Wayne anthology, Fathers Of The Free tells the story of Joequin Murieta, an outlaw with a thirst for vengeance. What it does far more effectively is deliver four-minute blasts of whiskey-soaked hardcore with a New Orleans flavour. It’s at its best when it’s surprising you, featuring an unexpected string section on Wars and a vibrato brass motif over the outro of The Undertaker. The Western theme lends itself to left turns like these, and spurs and Stetsons aside, Fathers Of The Free is competently executed, if slightly samey, blues-rock with a punk edge and a chaps-clad swagger. Heaps of fun.