sat 23/11/2024

CD: Bombus - Repeat Until Death | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Bombus - Repeat Until Death

CD: Bombus - Repeat Until Death

Swedish hard-rockers' third album has stomp power

Bombus in a bar happily recalling Brian Yuzna's 1989 rom-com 'Society'

Bombus kick ass. Not “arse” – my preferred anglicised spelling – but “ass”, because this, their third album, is Rainbow Bar & Grill-friendly, hair-flayling, leather-clad riffology. They come from Sweden, not LA, but, legs planted apart, they play head-bangin’ rock’n’roll with a truly enjoyable heft. Their music begs the listener to whack up the volume, run around the room roaring, and jump off the sofa windmilling air guitar. It’s a blast.

The Gothenberg foursome fall within the framework of metal but don’t have truck with the ear-frazzling shredding guitars of death metal, nor do they even play ridiculously fast. They are simply heaveeeeeee, in a Seventies biker sense.

Apt musical comparisons fall between Motörhead and Twisted Sister, but with a pop songmanship bridging Nirvana’s melodic grit and Lacuna Coil’s grandiosity. Named after the Latin word for “bumblebee”, they have something about them akin to musically ballsy but not-entirely serious rockers such as Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction, Alabama Thunderpussy and Steel Panther. Their songs, however, circumvent any smirking post-modernism.

The album opens with the catchy “Eyes on the Price” which smashes grunge production into Iron Maiden gallop, and from there on they seldom quit, unafraid to go symphonic metal and choral upon occasion, as on the epic middle section of “Horde of Flies”. A multi-tracked number called “I Call You Over (Hairy Teeth Pt 2)” is particularly special. It’s a pastiche of power balladry, possibly about booty-calling, that suddenly explodes into hard rockin’ life and whose key lyrics are hammered out in a great chorus: “There’s one thing you should know/I set my standards low/I burn the bridges steady as we go.” The title track also brooks no prisoners (“We’ve got no time to wait for the big move”) and the closing terrace anthem, “Get Your Cuts”, ends things on a rowdy high. The whole album snaps by at a pace. Bombus rock hard. They also know how to entertain.

Their music begs the listener to whack up the volume, run around the room roaring, and jump off the sofa windmilling air guitar

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters