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With alter-ego names that could have come from a defunct line-up of Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction (a bass player called Boozus, anyone?) and a set of hip-shaking hardrock tunes designed for both arenas and air guitars, there’s plenty to get excited about on The Wild!’s debut long player.

Their ace in the hole must be lead guitarist/vocalist Dylan Villain, whose rasping holler brings to mind Bon Scott via Dirty Looks’ Henrik Ostergaard and Rhino Bucket’s Georg Dolivo. There’s tons of ballsy swaggering and brazen energy on display – opening single Ready To Roll, mission statement Livin’ Free and Beating Around the Bush-esqueSix Hundred Sixty Six – as well as some welcome gear changes in the melancholy blues of Run Home and the languid White Devil.

With songs positively reeking of rot-gut moonshine and hi-octane gasoline, The Wild! really do rock it like they talk it, and then some.

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.