Artist: Black Robot
Title: “Black Robot”
Label: Formosa Records
Release Date: 4/13/2010
Genre: Hard Rock
Rating: 3.75/5
Black Robot is the latest in a line of reasonably new bands that call to mind the glorious past of kicking some ass for the sake of Rock & Roll, and from the moment you begin playing their self-titled release you are hooked with its drive and overall fun intensity. As a band Black Robot had a couple of things in their favor and the main and most important piece of the puzzle would be that three of their membership roster had at one time been members of the band Buckcherry. That being said, I was immediately surprised at my appreciation for the band because Buckcherry has failed to impress me with each and every listen that I give them. I just don’t see anything special about what they do or how its done and that made the slamming nature of how Black Robot laid down to Hard Rock justice all the more appealing. The band was founded in 2008 by former Buckcherry bassist Jonathan “J.D.” Brightman and the group’s front man Huck Johns and their approach is to use some truly infectious riffs and leave you with a satisfying experience. They introduce themselves as being “Baddass” when the album starts and then give us an ACDC inspired twist on the Eric Clapton classic “Cocaine”. Yes I know the song was written by J.J. Cale, but I think most of us refer to it as a Clapton tune since he made sure it was always on our minds.
Rounding out the lineup for Black Robot are other Buckcherry alumnus Yogi Lonich and Devon Glenn and they are joined by a Swedish guitar player Andy Anderson. There is a strong tie to the groove of ACDC around the album but it’s not so much a bite or rip-off as it is a tip of the hat homage to some of their riffs. I really liked “Money” and who doesn’t when it comes down to it, and I loved “Girls Kissing Girls” even though I realize how weird that line reads back to me when I give this review the once over. It’s got a really awesome drive to it and yes this one does sound a lot like ACDC from beginning to end. It’s as if Johns called upon the spirit of Bon Scott himself. “In My Car” is dare I say “driving” with its crunchy groove and the bands nom de guerre “Black Robot” shows that they mean business. The bottom line is that this is a very solid body of work and if all of these “traditional” bands are making you spend your hard earned cash then I think that you should pay a little bit of attention to them. I also recommend this album for those listeners who are in the same views as me about Buckcherry, for as I said earlier that band hardly interested me and yet this release had me blasting the volume and strumming the air guitar. You fans of that band might also want to keep your eyes peeled for what the bands former members are up to because this stuff is most certainly going to kick some ass live. I wish this band luck in climbing to the top of the pile because this Black Robot stands tall above most of its competition.
Track Listing:
1. Badass
2. Cocaine
3. Momma Don’t Cry
4. Girls Kissing Girls
5. Money
6. I’m In Love
7. In My Car
8. Black Robot
9. Love On A .45
10. Dissatisfaction
11. 23 Days Of Night
12. Stop The World
13. Nervous Breakdown
Official Website: http://www.blackrobotmusic.com