Black Robot’s debut album, with the original title Black Robot, rocks hard and free.  Huck Johns is a suitably restrained yet passionate singer who sounds like a man while he sings.  Yogi Lonich and Andy Andersson play excellent guitar.  Lonich plays guitar on every track but two.  Devon Glenn’s drumming style is professional in the style of the great Roger Taylor and Ringo Starr, perhaps the best drummer of all time.  JB Brightman’s bass is never inappropriate.  Fred Mandell’s keys are simply genius.  11 of the 13 tracks on this fantastic album are pure.

The cover “Cocaine” is a rocker written by JJ Cale and really begins Black Robot.  “Cocaine” is harder, nastier, and way more cool than we thought after the first listen.  ”Cocaine” begins like prime AC/DC with chiming guitar and hard riffs.  Johns’ vocals are appropriately gruff and hard guitar riffs and nice chords continuously pound.  Johns’ voice has a lot of Sammy Hagar in it with traces of the madman, Ozzy.  Glenn’s drums thump slowly and appropriately.

“Mamma Don’t Cry” features savagely rad guitar effects and some versatile drumming.  The tune wants to be southern rock but the vibe is more Cream, Hendrix or Love era Cult.  Lonich’s rhythm guitar in the background is dope as are the choruses.  The guitar, drum interaction near the end reminds us of the masters of such interplay, Aerosmith and the mighty all knowing and all seeing Led Zeppelin.

“Girls Kissing Girls” is a smooth rocker featuring a muted yet brilliant wail by Johns - his voice has some of the legend Bon Scott in it.  The pace is pure Back In Black or Bon Scott era AC/DC.  Andy Andersson’s guitar licks definitely feel like Angus Young and the edge on some of them reminds us of the god Andy Gill.  JB Brightman’s bass provides some nice support while Andersson solos.

“In My Car” is a gorgeous little rocker like Queen’s “I’m In Love With My Car”.  Guitar winds and takes us along a nice road.  The alternation of faster and slower periods is cool.  The tune wants to be an anthem but the band wisely stays restrained.  Johns’ voice stays under control while he could easily overreach.  When he wails we’re struck by the force and the appropriateness of it.  Black Robot is clearly a band that knows what it wants to be and has the courage to be that way.  We can give no higher praise.

On “Love On A .45″ Johns sounds like Ozzy and he mentions war and peace.  When the guitar winds and the drums hammer like Bill Ward’s the tune kicks it into a better gear.  The guitar solo sounds like muted Iommi which is nice.  This is a subversive song that grew on us while we listened to it.

“Dissatisfaction” feels like Sabbath but Johns’ voice has a more natural sound than Ozzy’s.  A guitar riff reminds us of the Edge.  Hill’s drums are powerful and slow and his restraint and maturity once again remind us of the skilled one, Taylor.  Yonich’s winding guitar beneath is hard and supportive and keeps a beautiful groove.

“23 Days of Night” feels like a combination of Ozzy after he left Sabbath and Sabbath.  There is a gloomy, scary feel like the best Floyd that we welcome.  Andersson’s Iommi riffs just pound and hammer and keep coming and he reminds us of the more than a god Jimmy Page.  Johns’ vocal style has a shadow of Roger Waters in it and that’s only good.

“Money” features Glenn’s nice, softer drumming and a mid-tempo pace.  Johns wants someone to give him his or her Bentley.  The guitar effects are dope as usual.  The backing chorus “Money Money Money” is genius.

“I’m In Love” is a slower, excellent song and starts with a big southern vibe and maybe we’re listening to slower Allman Brothers or Head First era Babys.  Johns’ vocals are soft at times and his emotion is impressive.  The slower, relaxed pace flows throughout the song.  The guitar solo 2/3 of the way through features longer notes and reminds us of Clapton and Slash.

“Stop The World” is another slower song with an earthy feel, Mandell’s great piano, and wonderful choruses.  The masters of a song with this kind of feel are of course the Babys.  Simply brilliant.

“Nervous Breakdown” ends this wonderful achievement and features shorter, sharper guitar and a strong, modern Doobie Brothers feel that is alarmingly fantastic.  Black Robot has some serious range and Mandell’s keys sounds great.  This song connects incredibly well and is also simply brilliant.

Two songs on the album are not as good as the others.  One is the straight hard rocker “Baddass” which begins the record.  The tune could use more punch, doesn’t connect as well as most of the others, has too much of a party feel, and is too frenetic.  Many bands could have played this song at least as well.  Our feeling at the end is one of “big deal.”

We’re not a huge fan of songs titled the same as the artist name.  Something about it smacks of a lack of creativity.  Unfortunately, so does ”Black Robot”.  Johns’ vocals are forced and unnatural during most of the song.  The tune also lacks emotion and leaves us feeling flat.

Black Robot was produced excellently by Dave Cobb although we would have liked to have heard more bass guitar.  The sound on Black Robot is natural and this band has a tremendous earthy feel and an outstanding ability to connect.  The members of Black Robot have been around and have learned the right lessons.  Black Robot is somewhat of an offshoot.  Like the metal gods Daniel Lioneye, this offshoot is better than most bands.  Black Robot’s concerts must be a complete party.

Buy This Album On: Black Robot

Like Black Robot?  Check out: The Allman Brothers Band, Faces, AC/DC