Like the financial affairs of a retired politician, it’s amazing what you find in rock and roll if you dig deep enough. Japan’s The Deadvikings are a prime example. Hailing from Kobe - a city notable for its beef as for being the site of Japan’s first golf course - they sound like they landed in the rock clubs of Sweden in the early 1990s and never left. In short, they rock in a tuneful way.
“Born To Lose” is a hackneyed title for a song but in this case, the ends definitely justifies the means. It’s an anthemic hybrid of the ‘Copters, Rose Tattoo, Backyard Babies and AC/DC,
“Midnight Express” could have been a long-lost Sonic’s Rendezvous Band tune with its flamethrower guitars and ragged riffing, and it serves as a reminder of from where the Hellacopters and 5000 other bands copped their mojo.
“She’s Gonna Fall In Love With You” is a surprisingly listenable soft metal cross between Van Halen and BOC, with Angus Young playing along. This is a band happy not to sit in one pigeonhole - they run the gamut from proto-metal to pop-punk. A few songs sit comfortably in that last space.
There’s a lot going on in the lyrics on “Libertatia” but I’m stuffed if I can read them on the CD pack (that font is illegible in yellow on brown) but how many bands do you know that write a song about Ned Ludd, the original Luddite? If that one’s too reflective for you, riff-laden closer “Necrophilia” will shake you out of your sake stupor.
Australian Tour dates (with Bunt):
The Old Boatshed, Manly - Nov 9
Bondi Royal - Nov 10
The Townie, Newtown - Nov 11
Frankie’s Pizza - Nov 12
