Heavy Rock
Republic Of Music
Review By Smudge Smith
Release Dates – ‘Suffer More’ – August 9th 2024. ‘Hard Times’ – September 27th 2024
Now, I’ve been patiently waiting for these. Bass man Indy gave me the lowdown on these re-issues last year as we chatted drunkenly at a festival, and I know he is really happy with the re-mix/re-master job and now they’ve got a label who will hopefully give them the push they deserve.
Let’s start at the beginning – ‘Suffer More’ was actually the Outlaw’s second record but they don’t tend to talk much about the debut ‘Black River’ (maybe they could re-record it with Phil Poole?). ‘Suffer More’ opens with a massive chug fest ‘Walk On Water’ the new mix/master makes it sound even bigger. ‘Fallback’ gets the same treatment, and it appears that Poole’s vocals are further up on the double hugeness of ‘All That I Have’ and the title track. Let’s not forget the fun of ‘Pandemonium’ which leads to the often-forgotten gem ’I’ve Been Found’ honestly, I don’t think I ever heard the organ before. Another Doomsday classic ‘Bring You Pain’ is a pure rock n roll party in the studio that pisses all over anything The Quireboys could manage then there’s the heavy ‘Blues For A Phantom Limb’ where they’ve brought the backing vocals up before ‘Saltwater’ goes full on southern heavy rock. We get the summery acoustic led ‘Standing Tall’ where you can hear Poole pour the soul into it before things get darker and louder on ‘Wait Until Tomorrow’ and ’Jericho Cane’ crikey that riff is huge! ‘Running Into You’ is another beautiful soulful ballad before the pure southern rock of ‘Tale Of A Broken Man’ ends things on a huge groove.
Prior to the release of ‘Hard Times’ I spoke with guitarist Steve Broughton who told me that he wanted a real ‘Exile On Mainstreet’ vibe for the record. Well, I think he got the vibe because that record was done in a dingy basement studio in the rough part of Paris and the title track sounds right up that street. The single ‘Over And Over’ is another that has benefitted from the new mix as has ‘Spirit That Made Me’ which sounds monumental. Oh boy the one that made me cry – ‘Into The Light’ just Poole, a plaintive piano and some gentle strings makes the hairs stand up on your neck and arms. Whilst it’s not indicative of what Doomsday Outlaw are about it just shows what they can do – world class! It’s back to the riffs and grooves on ‘Bring It On Home’ where drummer John Willis – who is one heavy hitter – lays it down in fine style. Things get kinda modern on ‘Days Since I Saw The Sun’ before another dark power ballad on ‘Will You Wait’ which has added backing making it sound complete. I’d forgotten about the funk of ‘Break You’ which gets the party well and truly started and that continues as Indy’s big bad bass opens ‘Come My Way’ and keeps it going all the way to the southern tinged ‘Were You Ever Mine’ before ‘Too Far Left To Fall’ offers up another stomping groove. Final number is an acoustic version of ‘Days Since I Saw The Sun’.
Often, I find myself listening to re-mixed/re-mastered records and I don’t really hear the differences, maybe they’re too subtle. Ain’t no subtlety on these bad boys. The sounds have been pushed right up but they don’t fight against each other, they just enhance the quality of the songs. Now, when I first reviewed these records, it was at a time that I really needed this sort of stuff. The songs wrapped around me like big, warm, cocoon that made me feel safe and happy. I have to pay credit to all the members involved drummer John Willis is a monster behind the kit who smiles as he dishes out the GBH, Indy’s bass is locked in tighter than ducks a butt and guitarists Steve Broughton and Gav Mills have the gift of the riff but neither overplay – it’s all for the song and those riffs are big and expensive. The ace in the hole is the voice of Phil Poole, a genuine talent that should be mentioned in the same breath as Coverdale, Rodgers and Overland. If you missed these the first time, round get them now – you need them, seriously, your life is not worth living without them. Mine wasn’t and now I’ve got them again.
Track Lists –
‘Suffer More’
1 – Walk On Water
2 – Fallback
3 – Driftwood
4 – All That I Have
5 – Suffer More
6 – Pandemonium
7 – I’ve Been Found
8 – Bring You Pain
9 – Blues For A Phantom Limb
10 – Saltwater
11 – Standing Tall
12 – Wait Until Tomorrow
13 – Jericho Cane
14 – Running Into You
15 – Tale Of A Broken Man
‘Hard Times’
1 – Hard Times
2 – Over And Over
3 – Spirit That Made Me
4 – Into The Light
5 – Bring It On Home
6 – Days Since I Saw The Sun
7 – Will You Wait
8 – Break You
9 – Come My Way
10 – Were You Ever Mine
11 – Too Far Left To Fall
12 – Days Since I Saw The Sun (acoustic)
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