You know that hot tin roof, well Adam and The Hellcats are jumping all over it at the moment. Just coming off a mega UK tour with US rockers ‘Hearts and Hand Grenades’, the Bristol based six piece are already lining up more dates for this year, so keep up on their social pages. Meanwhile there was an album released back in February, entitled ‘Catalyst’ which I picked up at a recent gig. A review ? Of course, it would be rude not to !
On stage Adam and his Hellcats are a band that entice you visually as well as offering fun loving music. The live shows are uplifting, packed with lightheartedness and you find yourself, along with the rest of the audience, having a night to remember. So how about on record, do you get a similar kitty loving experience ? ‘Catalyst’ is the bands second studio album a follow up to ‘Claws Out’ from 2021 and the twelve tracks open with ‘What The Cat Dragged In’ a swift little number with Adam Feasey’s vocals, twisting with Cirwen Costa’s to produce a fiery duet and Martin Woodmans’s guitar strings lash out for a stunning ending. ‘Battlecry’ eases in with a deep riff anchored with drums from Tony Feasey. This is a steady move of a number, treading slowly, ready to pounce with more of Adam’s defining lyrics. Grinding deeper towards the end, with more succulent guitar, yes that’s a decent tune all right. ‘Demons’ begins with haunting and tantalising chords, but soon escapes into a punchy track with highly polished edges. Again Cirwen proves her worth with impeccable voice and as it reaches its demise, the guitars take control with gut laden riffing. This continues on ‘Black Witch Bomb’ where the melody is held by Cirwen. Catchy and divinely intense, she adopts some quite exceptional turns, screaming and shrieking then reversing into perfect calmness, that’s not easy and she proves just on this one song, how good she can deliver.
A creepy ‘Victorian’ type of intro for ‘Call A Hearse’ which rolls out with a large amount of gore infested sound. Keys from Steve Long play a big part in adding the dark atmospherics. Whereas ‘Victory March’ stumbles in punk rock fashion, with a chanting chorus ‘Ramone’ style. It’s a complete change on ‘Thank You’ a ballad that sounds full of sorrow and desperation, but gives heaps of gratitude in its lyrics. Like the theme to a retro TV series, ‘Captain Black’ pops with a lush bass line and then cruises with Cirwen’s and Adams combined vocals. Having a bit of everything thrown in, especially more solo guitar and drum episodes, it’s a blast right up to the last note. The last track ‘Peace, Love (And Rock n Roll)’ went down a storm live and it holds some of its explosiveness on ‘Catalyst’. Fast and vigorous, the singalong chorus is broken up with breakneck guitar and the anthem finally comes alive in energetic phases.
If you need an introduction to Adam and The Hellcats or if you’ve seen them live and want a reminder, then get your paws on this album. Tightly put together and packed with revelry and merrymaking, you can’t fail to be impressed.
‘Packed with revelry and merrymaking, you can’t fail to be impressed.’
HIGHLIGHTS – Battlecry, Demons, Thank You, Peace, Love (And Rock N Roll)
TRACK LISTING – What The Cat Dragged In, Battlecry, Demons, Black Witch Bomb, Out In The Night, End Of The Line, Call A Hearse, Victory March, Thank You , Captain Black, Scumbag, Peace, Love ( And Rock N Roll) .
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