UK band BETH BLADE and the BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS is a fairly recent addition to the rock circuit in the UK. In a couple of years they have managed to secure a good following, and successfully crowdfunded their debut album “Bad Habit”, which is set to be officially released in April 2017.
The ten tracks that makes up this relatively short affair, clocking in at just over 35 minutes, documents a band that explore a type of music easy to get going yet hard to be successful in: Good, old fashioned hard rock. Of the kind that kicks out without any thoughts about sophistication. This is down and dirty hard rock through and through, with the obligatory ballad towards the end and the almost obligatory softer edged track edged in at the halfway point of the album, two breaks from the loud riffs and powerful vocals that dominate the rest of the album.
I found myself thinking about Little Angels quite a bit when listening to this album, and I could easily imagine that they explored a sound not too far away from this when they first started out: Basic hard rock, with a bit of in your face punk attitude added for good measure. The chorus sections tend to stay on the catchy side, and many of them will automatically invite to audience interaction when the band play live. I can easily imagine that Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters is a striking and captivating live band too, the type of music they explore here is one ideally suited for the stage as I experience it, but also one hard to capture on a studio album. The rough and almost primal vibes of music of this nature needs a live performance and a stage to truly live in my view, caged in the studio the beast has a tendency to become too tame. When that is said: Beth Blade is a strong vocalist, her band is a tight unit, and they create energetic and vibrant slices of dirty, old school hard rock with a strong feeling of professionalism throughout. They come across as an experienced band, and sound like they have been at it for a wee bit longer than what is actually the case.
If you enjoy your hard rock tight and gritty and with a down to Earth approach, this is a band that you most likely will enjoy. Still, if you get the chance to see them live I’d recommend doing so first, as I suspect this album will come across as a much more interesting and rewarding production after seeing the band play and hearing their music in a live environment.
My rating: 66/100
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Track list:
Hell Yeah!; Bad Habit; Beautiful Disease; Down and Dirty; Poster Girl for Pain; This Bitch Bites; Hell in High Heels; If You’re Ready to Rock; Angel with a Dirty Face; Legends Never Die
