Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats

Mind Control

Written by: BV on 01/07/2013 01:20:03

The sound of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats is one that has its similarities with much of Europe in recent years, starting perhaps with Swedish rockers Witchcraft’s take on the Sabbath/Pentagram sound, then popularized further by Graveyard, another Swedish act, then adopted by the likes of Kadavar on the German front. And now the time for recognition seems to have spun right back to England, where Black Sabbath set most of this mania off. Yes, that’s right - Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats are here with their sophomore release which is a vast improvement on the already interesting debut. On “Mind Control” the Uncle Acid' crowd seems to have tightened up the loose ends and have created a monster of an album that is clearly inspired by 70’s icons as well as heavier contemporary acts like Ghost.

The guitars on the album seem to have that sort of hypnotic crunch to them that not only signifies the down-trodden tempos of doom, but also the very essence of seventies tinged rock music. On “Mind Crawler” the tempo is rather upbeat, yet the track retains a certain doom-like aura to it along with a slightly psychedelic mindset which is most evident in the lyrics. The downplayed piano that constantly lurks in the background serves as a stark contrast to the otherwise heavy rhythms and reveals that Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats are indeed capable of playing instruments that aren’t heavily distorted.

When I first heard the line ”I was born a wicked man, no hopes or dreams / I get my kicks from torturing and screams / I lust for women's blood, and their evil ways / I twist my words to what the good book says“ on the track “I’ll Cut You Down” from their debut album, I was all but certain that this band would, at some point, be out playing bands like Ghost at their very own game. Granted, Ghost has the stage appearance going for them but when it comes to horror-infused rock music I am quite certain that Uncle Acid' is one of the finer examples on offer these days even though their lyrical universe focuses much more on other aspects than the tales of murder and frenzy that were dominant on “Blood Lust”.

You see, on “Mind Control” the lyrics are far more centered on mental abuse, seductive coercion and, indeed, mind control. The latter of these themes is particularly evident on a track like “Follow the Leader” which, with its slightly more hypnotic than heavy groove, goes a long way to emphasize that Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats have that cultist feel to them. In a way it also makes sense then, that the sounds on “Mind Control” are a bit softer than their preceding sounds on “Blood Lust”, as that particular album had a gore to the lyrics that practically demanded a far heavier soundscape. Indeed, this does seem to be a well-contemplated and skillfully executed album and concept to my ears.

With this latest effort Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats seem to cement the fact that there is indeed room for them on the blossoming scene of retro-styled rock and metal, and that they are quite deserving of their recent hype in that particular aspect of music. I’m looking forward to seeing them support the mighty Black Sabbath this year, that’s for sure.

Download: Follow the Leader, Desert Ceremony, Mind Crawler
For The Fans Of: Graveyard, Black Sabbath, Kadavar, Brutus
Listen: facebook.com

Release Date 14.05.2013
Rise Above Records

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