The Australian hard rockers return with this, their fifth album. I reviewed their last album, “Memoirs of a Rat Queen”, and found it to be an enjoyable, if not entirely addictive slab of rock n’ roll. I have to admire the rather ridiculous names, (band members have names like, “Jaytanic Ritual” and “Search and DesTroy”), costumes and larger than life persona. You know what? The accompanying blurb says that love songs have been commandeered by “soft rockers, bed wetters and the introvert crowd”. This is an album that seeks to reclaim love songs with a little more…ahem…balls, if you will. Very much in the spirit of the late 70’s and early 80’s, can The Neptune Power Federation accomplish this mission?

It is pretty fair to say that on average, my preferences are for music of the heavier variety, but I do have an abiding affection for hard rock as my entry into the more subterranean tunes. As such, my youth was spent listening to my dad’s AC/DC, Queen, Rainbow and old Judas Priest records, and that is very much the blueprint for the music contained within. These are big, bold anthems, with hook-laden chorus’ and sizzling guitar solos. The clean female vocals from lead lung-abuser, “Screaming Loz Sutch” add a whole element to proceedings, with her voice having a really impressive range and some real power. Whether on the power-balladry of “My Precious One”, or the funk-rock odyssey of “Baby You’re Mine”, her delivery is at a career high.

In between the hard rock skeleton, there’s still plenty of pleasing approaches here that mark the out as their own thing. Some lovely keyboard flourishes here and there, but essentially the star of the show for me is the inventive guitar work, which manages to produce riffs in abundance, along with some solo work that weaves its way into the memory. There’s plenty of grit to be found here too – “Emmaline” could easily have been a Danko Jones number, with a stack of swagger and some particularly fuzzy axe work. Closer, “We Beasts of the Night” has all the overblown strut of a prime Meatloaf number, is none the worse for it.

So, what to make of this album as a package then? Well, in many ways it’s an album that can feel a little out of time, but there really aren’t any bands producing material like this anymore, certainly with the confidence and arrogance that The Neptune Power Federation do. It’s pretty infectious, that’s for sure – whether that be due to the simple but effective song writing, or just the delivery I’m not sure, but then again pure rock n’ roll transcends in depth serious analysis: the essence is surely, if it feels good, it is good.

This is a feel-good album, and really, couldn’t we all do with some positive, hard rockin’ tunes to help us out of the gloom at the moment? Celebrate life, and this is a good soundtrack to do it to.

(8/10 Chris Davison)

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