RAB are from France. Their first album was called RAB 1, and their new album is called RAB 2. They clearly like a laugh (if the pun-driven CD artwork is anything to go by), and they simply don’t give a shit. But that’s OK, as they also rock quite considerably too.
Think American-style, beer-swilling (but stoner-ish) rock and roll, but with plenty of sass. A good comparison that seems to crop up throughout RAB 2, is a sound similar to Shaun Kama’s defunct NY horrorpunk crew Damnation, especially with singer Thibaud Piegay’s biting, yet emotive vocal style.
Although the riffs may certainly contain traces of stoner, the uptempo nature of RAB 2 sets the first couple of tracks free from the traps like RABid dogs, until a more bluesy feel kicks in with the slower ‘Gay Killer’, which also features some catchy gang-vocal chants.
‘Friend Of Mine’ has a guitar solo that Turbonegro’s Euroboy would be pleased to call his own, but ‘Feel Good’ sails a little too closely to the winds of Queens Of The Stone Age for comfort. As for the placement of a Charles Bukowski poem slap-bang in the middle of the record…Well…it almost kills the albums momentum stone-dead, but don’t worry, as ‘Pityful Liars’ puts RAB 2 back on track.
The lead guitar lines push the frantic ‘Good Old Days’ into overdrive, and ‘Tonight We Dance’ is just perfect for fans of the Foo Fighters, and/or cowbells.
This leaves ‘New Dawn’ and ‘My Own Grave’ to end the album in fine style, with the latter track proving to be a catchy punk highlight.
So, falling just slightly short of a full-on party album, RAB 2 however, still convinces. It has a riffed-up swagger and bluesy groove, and makes the prospect of a sequel (RAB 3 no doubt) as something to look forward to.
But, in the meantime, (g)RAB yourself a copy of this one.
(7.5/10 Stuart Carroll)
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