Western
Cape punk bands are in short supply, restricted by a default elitist or naive
mentality towards punk music. Although Dead
Lucky themselves
claim a dirty rock outfit, they do carry
the ethos of punk, disjoined from its conventional attributes by incorporating
catchy rock riffs and Lemmy-esque vocals.
Kyle’s shouts/screams/highs and lows embedded with fair portions of elegance and fury makes him a fierce frontman. Jean’s jackhammer drum-blasts etch awesome grooves across the tunes. The guitar-front is consistent in delivering catchy riffs, the rhythm and lead complimenting each other. Sons of Lazarus and Sin City start with an “o my fuck it’s this song” bass intro, continuing with a varied and dominant bass range across the album.
The
first song is a self-titled ‘fuck you’ type anthem. Following with
a prophetic feel on the vocals, King
of the Underworld resonates
with evil through a brilliant chorus and a sweet and short solo that empowers
Kyle’s demonic vocal capability. The single Prowler steers far from the punk-mark with
catchy rock riffs. It is a radio-friendly song, even being 5 minutes long (*hint hint corporate cocksuckers).
Fat bass lines walk the crafty drum work into a classic rock feel, leaning
towards ‘rock’ rather than ‘punk rock’.
Live Fast, Die Last slows the tempo, enabling a crass feel that adds variety to the album.
Speeding off again in fast tempo, Our
Prayer begins with a catchy
guitar intro, followed by the drums drilling down and Kyle’s powerhouse vocals
layered with style. The clean guitar intro to Favourite Kind of Woman soon spirals with rowdy riffs and wild
snare-beats. Sin City continues the dirty feel that will
make those of faint heart wash their hands. The crashing cymbals give a driving
platform for the vocals.
With a swaying melody, Women of the Night illustrate a dirty and eager story
that only good punk rock can tell – a win recipe for fun. End of the Day is an easy listen that contrasts
the album with a very slow tune, expected from a veteran dirty-blues
outfit. Slow Dance with
the Devil has a grungy feel;
the slow tempo makes it a hypnotic song.
Immortals end the album, confirming fair accreditation of a ‘poes-cool’ LP. To my
liking, 7 Sins would have been a nice bonus track, a raw
golden oldie definitive of Dead
Lucky. It is the song to which I usually lose my chill with
pretentious, pious believers and am gladly thrown out of a venue, because FUCK
YOU if you cannot hear the music.
