Mascot Records - 2008
9/10
From time to time, I'll come across a band that manages to sell me more on their radio-legacy era than their earlier metal roots, being the opposite situation of what most metal enjoyers find themselves in. Denmark's Volbeat is one of those bands for me, as the groovy and pummeling grit of The Strength, The Sound, The Songs and its follow up do little for me save for a a few songs here and there. Perhaps owing to the awkwardness that may come from transitioning out of a now defunct death metal band's remnants, it would take three or four albums before Michael Poulson and co. found their footing. With that said, I find the first hint at what they wanted to be all about to be among some of their finest work, that being the third record titled Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood.
Considering the lyrical themes, album title, and artistic style, it became clear that it's this point in the game that Volbeat wanted to aim for that Cash-Metallica-Danzig hybrid that centers around storytelling and quasi-western energy. While hinted at before, things solidify here thanks to warmer guitar tones and a cleaner production that still prioritizes meaty rhythms and a powerful delivery. Much of the latter is owed to Poulson's signature bolt, but equally this contributes to the emotional pull and honest depth that goes into the structures, despite how simplistic they often are. The end result winds up being something that sounds awfully generic and gimmicky on paper (which would sneak up on them after a few mainstream albums) but at this stage truly feels refreshing and refined.
For the most part, that's thanks to the balance we find between the muscular oomph and the soothing clarity on the more emotional tracks. "Back To Prom" may be one of my favorite songs the band ever did, not even clocking in at two minutes but still driving strong melodies and convincing riffs under an otherwise melancholic and nostalgic vibe. Actually, reflections on a time well remembered seem to poke through pretty frequently on this record, tapped into nicely in the acoustic sadness of "We," and perhaps in a more energetic way on "Maybelline I Hofteholder." Hell, even the cover of Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" seeps into the cracks so organically that what could have been disastrous winds up working beautifully.
Of course, Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood still holds plenty of meanness to represent its id. The band's first big hit "Still Counting" showcases this wonderfully, due to its seemingly harmless intro breaking into a furious rhythm that would fit right into a thrash metal record. Similarly, "Hallelujah Goat" rides on this same energy, and the title track opens things up with a shady attitude that sets the scene quite nicely. There is some obvious filler that holds this back just a tad bit, as cutting a track or two could have made things slightly less overblown, but not a note feels as though it's out of place or completely unflattering.
Thus, I like to see Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood as a happy accident that gets overshadowed by everything around it. Its predecessors are often the only records a mainstream hater will bother with, while its follow-ups could almost be called "metal for people who don't like metal." Between the two is this gem, one that utilizes the western vibes without overdoing it, keeps the simplicity without going stale, and cakes on emotion without compromising the heavy bottom. The littlest shift in the wrong direction could have ruined everything, but whether intentional or not, Volbeat got it right this time. If you only listen to one of their albums, let it be this.
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