THE NATIONAL EVENING EXPRESS – a considerable amount of thunder on this record

Hailing from Melbourne Australia, the 4 piece rock band, THE NATIONAL EVENING EXPRESS formed in 2013, featuring a set of all seasoned musicians who drawing on their varied influences including Motorhead, The Black Crowes, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Midnight Oil. In this day and age, few things come around that make us stir from head to toe with glee and anticipation. One of these things is the announcement of a new rock record. This self-titled debut album, has hit our timpani, and the shelves on the way.

What can you expect from this? It’s needless to say that there’s a considerable amount of thunder on this record. THE NATIONAL EVENING EXPRESS cooks up a blend of demonically sly licks, heavy-pedal forward trudging drums, and bass lines that exude calm mastery.

“Let’s Go Crazy” kicks off the titanic hard rock mega-jam with Jan’s precise, determined beats leading into the seductive vocals coupled with teasing lyrics, a key instrument of this album’s appeal.

The elemental pieces of this sound are their uniformly arranged hooks, which produce a full, wholesome energy; and their musical attitude, screaming unrefined hard rocking outlaw. After a few good listens, it’s evident that each member carries the torch of power for the group.

On the upbeat “Shadow Of A Former Man” they probably sound their most original, introducing the song with ghoul-like guitars and following with some pretty driving solos. The best off this one, though, is in “Back There Again” It starts out with some slow picking, but quickly grows into a spinning-mad jumble with a few stops on the psychedelic riff express.

“Pay To Play” gives room for the bassist to bring forward his skills and superimpose them onto his cool lines, while the keeps the pace for the blazing guitars. The aptly-named “Energy” comes flowing in at just the right time, to deliver hard-stomping mammoth-led rock n’ roll with added rap verses.

This track unleashes a more freaky side of THE NATIONAL EVENING EXPRESS, and caters to the need of experienced rock musicians to go a little street urban in sound.

The band delivers a really outstanding collaboration, and definitely one to be remembered on their self-titled EP. The only problem is that, from the get-go, you now know this stuff is going to be good. That allows for plenty of bias in expectation, and you wouldn’t want to like a record before you hear it, would you? Just kidding.

What we’ve got here is a debut album that’s fun and catchy with both lighthearted and heavy grooves, featuring extremely capable musicians each bringing his equal quarter to the pie. It sounds exactly like you might expect: the drums are gigantic and ferocious, the guitars spray unrelenting enemy fire, the bass runs the gamut of shifting hyperactivity, while the vocals bring the raunchy rumble.

Together THE NATIONAL EVENING EXPRESS make for solid, often punishing blues-based rock n’ roll – wonderfully grimy and served fresh and hot from the studio.

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