Post by jptheprofessor on Jun 8, 2008 22:08:09 GMT -5
ROADKILL – THE WRECKONING (Run You Down Records) For two decades and over 1,000 live performances, Clearfield County’s Roadkill has carved their own unique niche on the area’s musical landscape. The group’s self-proclaimed “rot and roll” has come to be defined as a blend of metal- and blues-driven raunch rock, mixed with the colorful and sarcastic wit of outspoken singer, bassist and group ringleader Greg Majewsky. On Roadkill’s fourth album, The Wreckoning, the group throws an unexpected twist into their repertoire. Their trademark fire and wit are still in abundance, evidenced from the get-go with the rampaging album-opener “Smooch Me Booty!” with its “rot and roll” chants and donkey-kissing sentiments. In the tradition of past Roadkill holiday-themed anthems like “Fifth on the Fourth of July” and “Santa Is a Big Fat Jerk,” enter the group’s latest, “Public Service Announcement from the Anti-Valentine’s Day Council,” a fast-paced, action-packed ode to having one’s heart ripped out, kicked around and “tossed aside like a bag of moldy tangerines;” its infectious shout-along chants of “Love left me for dead” should have most everyone shouting along before song’s end. Another witty highlight is the group’s rural-flavored dig at washed-up rockers donning cowboy hats, “Ode to the Failed Wannabe Rockstars Who Now Wannabe Country Stars.” Toward’s disc’s end, though, Roadkill offers a more serious twist; first with the solemn and reverent “A Prayer Before My Imminent Afterlife,” and the imaginative hard-rocking epitaph to a departed canine companion, “The Remaining Days of Zeddska the Elder Canine.” The performances are strong from start to end, with Majewsky’s fire-and-brimstone delivery at its comedic and dramatic finest, and the instrumental fireworks of Majewsky, guitarist Sean McCracken and drummer/singer Shawn “Teach” Evans sounding tighter and more confident. Recorded at Audible Images in Port Matilda, engineered by Bill Filer and produced by Majewsky, The Wreckoning sounds appropriately thunderous and jagged when it needs to, but also shows more depth and variation with the appearances of layered keys and occasional vocal effects. The result is Roadkill’s most complete-sounding album yet; The Wreckoning retains the humor and vinegar fans have come to expect from this band, but also shows a touch of maturity accrued through their two-decade longevity. (The CD can be purchased through Roadkill's Myspace website, www.myspace.com/runyoudown.)