Time Signature
Do it now...
Genre: retro hard rock
The follow-up to their debut "Don't Hear It... Fear It", "Check 'em Before you Wreck 'em" is the sophomore full-length by the British power trio Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell. As we all know, living up to the debut album can be a tricky challenge, but I don't think that "Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em" will have any trouble appealing to fans of dirty rock music.
Latching on to early heavy metal and hard rock, this power trio treats the listener to riveting riffs and grabbing grooves wrapped in fuzz galore. In most tracks, including the aptly titled '2 Tonne Fuckboot', the punk-cum-southern rock anthem that is 'Happiness Begins', the heavy groovefest 'Shaker Your Head', and the quirky 'Don't Hear It... Fear It', the trio's enthusiasm for 70s hard rock shines through, and that is probably what makes this album so enjoyable to listen to.
The production is characterized by fuzz galore, and the drums have the same organic, albeit flat, sound that characterized authentic 70s rock. Performance-wise, the music is delivered dynamically and energetically, emphasizing spirit over precision, which is a good thing with this kind of music, because a too polished approach would make it sound sterile.
If you like grimy, groovy, and greasy garage rock, then you should check out the rock 'n' roll onslaught that is "Check 'em Before You Wreck 'em".