Review: BRMC – ‘Beat The Devils Tattoo’


BRMC (photo © live4ever)

BRMC (photo © live4ever)




Listening to ‘Beat The Devils Tattoo’ is akin to going on a journey through the highlights of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s back catalogue, where you arrive at a place of familiarity and relief. That’s the relief that they haven’t gone all Kings Of Leon on us, and instead have stayed sat comfortably in their position just under the radar, maintaining their artistic credibility yet still delivering the goods. Now on their sixth album, they’ve knocked up another dirty, stomping tune that sits confidently alongside their best material.

Stripped down to its bare bones, the song opens with just Robert singing along with his acoustic. Its by the end of this verse that I’m reminded of Elbow’s Grounds For Divorce, whereby the musical equivalent of an atomic bomb goes off with a relentless, ferocious, stomp. This is BRMC’s mantra song, the one that fans will be singing at the end of their gigs. If you’ve ever been to see Kasabian live, you’ll know its custom for everyone spilling out onto the streets to be singing the ‘aah’s’ from LSF, so expect the same from the glorious refrains in this song. All brilliance and praise aside, I hope the rest of the album does offer something new and not too much of the same that we already know and love them for, as they’re definitely capable of pushing themselves a little further.

Matt Humphrey


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