ALBUM REVIEWS
THE DAMN TRUTH
ALBUM REVIEW BY JAMES NASH
One of the most exciting new rock and roll bands, The Damn Truth, are gearing up to release their self-titled album on Friday and Ryoko Media were invited to get an early listen.
Having ignited the UK with their last album, Now or Nowhere, The Damn Truth have played Europe, crisscrossed the USA and Canada, and opened tours for ZZ Top, the Sheepdogs, Styx and Rival Sons. Now with the release of their self-titled album, it's evident this is a culmination of a 12-year grind - an ethic that has garnered the band almost 2 million streams on Spotify and the equal number of YouTube views.
Opening with Be Somebody, the introduction feels reminiscent of the late-60s, with its airy guitar and ethereal vocals, but less than 30 seconds in and I already get the feeling that this album is going to pack a punch. Pick scraping into a riff that gets my eagerness building and a drum fill that serves up the power I was hoping for, the chorus sets this up into a track that I can already see on a festival mainstage. I don't know if it's the sunny spring weather beaming through my window but this has filled the room with a full bodied atmosphere that I will happily keep on repeat until those days are upon us.
Recorded over a period of two months at Bryan Adams’ Warehouse Studios, this album was 100% produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi), with unfiltered access to his incredible collection of rare and vintage guitars for the sessions. At the start of the project, Bob told the band: “When I hear you guys, I feel the spirit of Zep 1, let’s make a record like that, playing together, live, feeding off each other’s energy. That’s rock n roll”.
Wanting a sneak peak already? Tracks 2 and 3, I Just Gotta Let You Know and Love Outta Luck, are available to stream now on Spotify.
Led by singer/guitarist Lee-La Baum (with vocals effusively described by critics as a combination of Grace Slick and Ann Wilson), the band consists of lead guitarist Tom Shemer, bass-player PY Letellier, and drummer Dave Traina.
Bassist PY Letellier noted that "working with Bob this time around really brought new layers to our music that we hadn’t really had before."
"Bob Rock is synonymous with the biggest bass and drum sounds," adds drummer Dave Traina, "But, with us, he seemed more interested in the lyrics and melody. He had us play each song quietly with an acoustic guitar and Lee-la’s voice and then building the music around those focal points."
This is evident in The Willow, a mystically powerful track that feels like it was straight out of a late-night Led Zeppelin session. Waves of fuzz and wah sing the guitar into a solo oozing with heart and soul. As I close my eyes and soak up this epic, I feel as If I could smell the tube amps and the incense that fills the room.
In February, The Damn Truth were special guests on the sold-out Rock Legends Cruise with Alice Cooper, Styx, Burton Cummings, John Waite, Jason Bonham, and others. But the constant touring doesn't stop, as the band are hitting the ground running with album launch shows on home turf in Canada. I, for one, will be impatiently awaiting UK dates.
Embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D3HH2_Pkeo
Pre-order the album on vinyl and CD or pre-save the album digitally.
“THE DAMN TRUTH”
TRACK LISTING
1. Be Somebody
2. I Just Gotta Let You Know
3. Love Outta Luck
4. If I Don’t Make It Home
5. Better This Way
6. Mirror Mirror
7. All Night Long
8. The Willow
9. Addicted
10. Killer Whale
11. The Dying Dove