Having never heard even a note from these guys my interest was immediately piqued when I heard the opening salvo of Dead Express’ latest release “Game Changer”, so much so that I went back to listen to their earlier releases, and that old adage of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it is so true.
There is a raw kind of primal energy to their music that stirs something inside of you, instantly hooking you and making you think goddamn this is why I love rock’n’roll in all its iterations. Coming in at just over half an hour it grabs you by the scruff of the neck and drags you along for the ride with its rock’n’roll swagger and punk attitude. The opener “Roky” is the perfect way to kick things off with its heavy bass line, thumping drum beat, killer guitars with a cracking solo at the backend of the track and excellent vocals from Wahlgren that are quintessential rock. “
This Means War” is a dirty punk rocker that will get the blood pumping with its infectious rhythm and catchy chorus that is strangely melodic considering the mayhem going on around it, this is what these guys are all about loud and in your face. “Hang ‘Em High” opens with a kind of bluesy solo that leads into a kicking bass-driven groover, Wahlgren’s sneering style vocals combined with cutting riffs really set this off, another monster solo from Lindell, this is one of the best tracks on the album. “Heathen” is a monster track, crisp guitars with a buzzing bass line and Wahlgren’s snarl sounding slightly distorted to give a more punk feel to this one than the others. The riff on “Stinkin Rich” is something AC/DC would be proud of, it has that gritty punk rock feel that makes the track standout, while Wahlgren is not Bon Scott he has a very distinctive voice that adds a certain edge to their sound; it’s killer.
“Stay Hard” starts out heavy as fuck with a dirty bass line driving the track as it progresses while still being heavy there is a groove that will make you want to boogie big time with a kicking rhythm of crashing drums and chugging riffs, Wahlgren sounds a bit like Mick Jagger on this one and Lindell lays down a great solo, this is another contender for track of the album. Title track “Game Changer” has a massive sound with a killer rhythm, the drum and guitar combos are kicking while the cool bass beat really helps push the tempo, probably my favourite track on here. Maybe it’s me but there is a Kinks vibe to “Road Trippin” with riffs and a drum beat that sounds like “All Day And All Of The Night”, regardless this is a cracking track that will get you bopping around. “The Swamp Incident” is packed with crunching riffs, a funky drum beat and a buzzing bass line, the guitar solo is savage and Wahlgren once more smashes it with his vocals. “Method To My Madness” sounds like something of a Transplants album, with its punk stylings and low-quality recording feel, but that’s what makes it such a kickass tune, raw and unapologetically punk rock, you can’t be better than that. “The Naked Truth” closes the album with an absolute screamer, Wahlgren strains the vocal cords one last time as the band smash and crashes their way through a frantic finale, epic.
“Game Changer” is out 28th of April and is a fitting end to Wahlgren’s tenure as a singer as he has been forced to step down due to hearing problems which is a pity but he leaves a cool legacy
Review: Conor
| Roky | 3:07 | |
| This Means War | 2:45 | |
| Hang Em High | 2:48 | |
| Heathen | 2:48 | |
| Stinkin Rich | 2:36 | |
| Stay Hard | 2:53 | |
| Game Changer | 2:46 | |
| Road Trippin | 2:15 | |
| The Swamp Incident | 2:43 | |
| Method To My Madness | 2:59 | |
| The Naked Truth | 2:59 |
Dead Express are:
Joan Wahlgren Vocals
Cruncha Lindell Guitar
Mattias Lind Guitar
Fredrik Skeppstedt Bass
David Andersson Drums