With a band name as bold and brash as Fat Goth, and second album artwork as lewd and sleazy as 'Stud' then you need bags of substance to back it up. Otherwise the whole affair can fall into the forgettable comedy rock ground occupied by Eagles Of Death Metal and Electric Six.
Luckily this Dundee three piece need have no such worries. The drum solo that begins 'Surf's Down' blisters into a behemoth of energy, power and rawk. Despite the name, there's no Beach Boys surf pop influence here. The track veers and cascades with changes of pace along the way, all the while being held together by the tightly woven rhythm section.
'Debbie's Dirty Harry' preceded the album as a single, but despite it's familiarity it loses none of it's power. Clocking in at 5 minutes 39 seconds, it's one of six tracks on the album to trip past the 5 minute mark, suggesting there's some substance to lead singer Fraser Stewart's final line in the track, "I think you've got too much time on your hands".
'Creepy Lounge', another pre-album track, is just that, with the bass line intro coming straight out a '70's murder mystery movie. All that's missing is Scooby and Shaggy running away from the obligatory ghoul. It's a runaway stonker of a tune, showing that the band are not all crashing guitars and roaring noises. As does 'Pinball Moron', which fuses calypso, alt-folk and country into a brilliant track featuring Alice Marra on joint vocal duties. A Dundee version of She & Him turned up a notch?
The rumble of bass and drums return, beneath the axe-work of Stewart's guitar and his gruesomely great vocals for the ridiculously entitled "You'll Find Me In Da Club (And To Be Perfectly Frank I'm Having A Cracking Time!)' Plenty for fans of power rock, hardcore and head-banging to be entertained with.
'I Am A Leg-End' is more ballad than big riffs, and 'Bang Tidy' is a roaring 11 minute noise explosion. Plenty going on here, although perhaps ideas that could have been worked into two tracks. Sneering vocals, controlling drums, thunderous bass and shredded guitars are the name of the game here.
The album ends on a more sombre note, with 'A Nasty Piece Of Work', a soft and alluring track. Let's be honest, Fat Goth are at their finest with balls out rock and noise, but this is a natural end to a fine album. A rest bite, or comedown if you like. Even dark madcaps need a break sometime.
Fat Goth - 'Stud' is out now. Get it online here or support your local independent store and pick up a copy there.
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