from metalunderground
Brand New Sin – "Tequila" (CD)
"Tequila" track listing:
1. Said And Done
2. Did Me Wrong
3. Spare The Agony
4. Ice Man
5. The Proposition
6. Old
7. Worm Whore
8. See The Sun
9. Motormeth
10. Numero Dos
11. Elogio
12. Reaper Man
13. Acehole
14. House Of The Rising SunReviewed by rocket on November 12, 2006
"This incredible work presented to us on Tequila now solidifies Brand New Sin as one of America’s most important hard rock bands."Now a five-piece unit, having trimmed down from their crushing three guitar sound they employed on their last full-length CD, Recipe For Disaster, Brand New Sin frankly seems a much more well-rounded rock force. I have to be totally candid and say that upon first listen of Tequila, I thought they totally lost that ‘heavy as hell’ edge to their sound that is what made me fall in love with them as a band to start. But as I sat down to do this review, donning the headphones for another round of listening, I found myself vibing greatly to their lastest ass-ripping collection of beer-swilling and bar fight-inducing songs.
Starting with ‘Said and Done’, ‘Did Me Wrong’ and ‘Spare The Agony’, I clearly hear much more of a stripped down and bare it to the bone version of what Brand New Sin has been known for. Don’t get me wrong, the guitar work from Kenny Dunham and Kris Weichmann on the next three tracks, ‘Ice Man’, ‘The Proposition’ and ‘Old’ is definitive hard rock guitar with great riffs and ripping, bluesy solos that are only currently topped by living legend Zakk Wylde himself. The material here, lyric-wise also seems to be much more intimate and filled with emotion compared to the band’s last effort, which came off with an absolutely snarling, kick-you-in-the-face attitude.
The southern music vibe that you get from the next tracks ‘Worm Whore’ and ‘See The Sun’ makes you sit back and fully realize the true beauty in Brand New Sin. I don’t think it’s going too far out there saying that this is clearly America’s twenty-first century answer to Lynyrd Skynyrd. The sprawling and gut-wrenching chorus on ‘See The Sun’ shows us what these guys are capable of. The album explodes with that old school 70’s feel when track nine ‘Motormeth’ begins. There are some very cool guitar changes in this jewel. This song is as good as anything on Black Label Society’s new offering, Shot To Hell, including the guitar solo work. And it only gets more groovey moving forward. ‘Numero Dos’ is like this slow, raging tornando that just keeps picking up houses and spitting them out into the great distance in its all-out path of utter destruction, soon changing up its directon with lead vocalist Joe Altier’s soul-filled voice that sounds eerily close to the late great Ronnie Van Zant.
The six string work coming to life on this album is perhaps the best I have heard in several years. The next song is the atmospheric and cowboy lost on the trails-sounding acoustic instrumental ‘Elogio’ that is an effective and highly chilling set-up to track twelve’s ‘Reaper Man’, which is easily the best song this band has produced to date. The first guitar solo on this track is so good that it harkens back to 70’s heavy music giants Thin Lizzy, Rush and Blue Oyster Cult. Track thirteen is a brief 43 second interlude with the opening sounds of a person mixing a drink and lighting up a blunt for smoking, while listening to Brand New Sin on the radio in the backdrop. But the band’s greatest statement has surely been saved for last here with them covering The Animals epic classic ‘House Of The Rising Sun.’ I’m going to give it up to Big Joe and the boys, as this is the coolest and most heartfelt cover of this song I have ever heard and along with the rest of this incredible work presented to us on Tequila now solidifies Brand New Sin as one of America’s most important hard rock bands. Getcha pull to this one over and over again!
Highs: The great thing about this album is your high all throughout it no matter what.
Lows: If I said there was a low with this album, I’d need my head examined.
Bottom line: Brand New Sin is clearly America’s twenty-first century answer to Lynyrd Skynyrd.