It is not, perhaps, the most likely of pairings. Formed by Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola, The Apocalypse Blues Revue sees the pair distanced from the alt-metal leanings of their parent band and teamed up with vocalist Ray Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter to deliver some seriously weighty blues. Yet, whilst it may be an unlikely pairing, the first few seconds tell you that the match is perfectly formed as Tony’s sympathetic guitar playing slides out of the speakers just as smooth as a whiskey cocktail. It takes just that first song, ‘evil is as evil does’, to realise that this is no vanity project at work – both Tony and Shannon play as if they’re having the time of their lives whilst Ray Cerbone has a fantastic voice, weathered enough to give weight to the material, but always bang on the melody too. The result is a brilliant album that riffs on the darker side of the blues, and, with its raw production, it captures a very different side of the Godsmack pair and stands tall as a fine blues album in its own right.
Swinging into view with ‘Evil is as evil does’, the listener is struck straight away with the live-sounding production, brisk pace (driven by Brian Carpenter’s pounding bass and Shannon’s deft rhythms) and sweet solos of Tony. It is a great blues song, crackling with energy and recalling the sweet tones of Wilko Johnson, whilst Ray’s performance gives great depth and emotional resonance to the music cooked up by the band. Neither the themes nor music lighten up on ‘Junkie hell’, a track that digs into the darkest, gnarliest blues. Imagine, if you will, Nick Cave fronting Mad Season on ‘Artificial Red’ and you have an idea of the dark, dirty sounds the band employ with Ray roaming the streets after dark in the guise of some hellfire-obsessed preacher. It’s almost a relief when ‘Devil plays a Strat’ comes roaring in on the back of a riff that’s pure Hendrix and delivers some of the album’s most impressive soloing. It’s a fantastic track, demonstrating the band’s musicianship and the band sensibly soften the pace on ‘I think not’, allowing the raw power of the previous track a chance to dissipate and the listener a chance to draw breath whilst the band take a detour into the dark world of Muddy Waters where taut riffs underpin a stellar performance from Ray. You can’t keep a good band down, however, and Shannon’s rolling drum beat leads us headlong into the surf-blues of ‘Whiskey in my coffee’, and it’s here that Tony really excels, delivering a solo that will leave jaws hanging. This is not to say that Tony was not already a respected guitarist, but here he demonstrates a skill and versatility that is frequently dazzling. The first half of the record concludes with ‘the tower’, a track that veers more closely towards the Godsmack sound than any other, with its psychedelic guitar lines and reverb-drenched vocal fitting surprisingly well alongside the more traditional blues approach taken elsewhere.
We’re into sparky Buddy Guy territory with the bristling guitars and energetic vocal of ‘Crossed over’, the second half’s opening gambit. Tony digs deep to deliver a succession of solos that crackle with static, whilst Ray’s vocal captures the dark humour of Buddy at his inimitable best. In contrast, the album’s lightest moment, ‘Blues are fallin’ from the sky’ has a rock ‘n’ roll flourish that will raise a smile but, at the same time, does not match the bite of the material found elsewhere. However, the pummelling beat of ‘work in progress’ sees the band get back to business with the sort of grinding blues-rock riff that Dan Patlansky has made his stock in trade over the last few years. Better still is the blazing, Sabbath-esque ‘The devil in me’ which cruises on the back of a world-shaking riff that just won’t quit. This is heavy blues with an edge and the band take no prisoners with this one. In contrast the album’s official closing track (there’s also a bonus track) is a sweet acoustic number that sees Ray’s finest vocal delivered over a gentle picked riff that gains some serious weight when Brian’s bass is allowed into the picture. A near perfect closer, it would be a shame that that band decided to tack a bonus track on the end if it wasn’t for the fact that the bonus track transpires to be a cover of Doors classic ‘Music’s over’ which adds a touch of psychedelic mystery to the album’s closing moments. A faithful cover, the band play it straight, whilst Ray’s Jim Morrison impression is spot on, capturing the dark wonder of that late, lamented artist’s vocals perfectly.
Preconceptions are a dangerous thing and the first thing to do when you get hold of a copy of The Apocalypse Blues Revue is to forget about who is involved in the album and just let the music guide you. The band take a varied approach, drawing on a number of styles and influences across the record and yet they do so with an impressive authenticity that makes for an endlessly entertaining listen. For the most part the songs have a considerable edge thanks to a series of well-written lyrics and Ray’s stunning delivery, but what really stands out is the guitar work of Tony Rombola who absolutely shines on these eleven tracks. Dark and dirty, The Apocalypse Blues Revue showcase a love of the blues and an impressive musicianship that transcends the notion that this is a mere side project. 9
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