Shotgun Rodeo - World Wide Genocide (2015)

Following on from their two EPs, Norwegian heavy metal troupe Shotgun Rodeo are back with their debut album World Wide Genocide and if you like your metal energetic, punchy and memorable, then you can certainly do no wrong with this band.

You can really feel the energy that the band has put into their performance on the album and it makes for a highly enjoyable listen as a result. The fast pace to the album gives it such a bite and Shotgun Rodeo are relentless in their endeavours. Additionally, the songs themselves as a whole are great, with Shotgun Rodeo showing they’re more than capable of writing an earworm or two. The vocals are nice and powerful, and the instrumentation is meaty and substantial throughout, no matter whether it’s used simply as backing for the vocals or in a more major solo role.

Of course, World Wide Genocide isn’t without its faults and admittedly the lyrics do make the music sound a little cheesy at times, sometimes sounding more akin to something you’d find in an early 00’s nu metal track rather than anything more substantial, which is a shame because aside from that, World Wide Genocide is a largely very good listen. Skin Crawl sounds tailor-made to be performed in a stadium and Dying Inside shows a different side to Shotgun Rodeo, with the band taking a wholly acoustic approach that really works for them.

As a whole, World Wide Genocide is a pretty good listen. Admittedly they haven’t quite found their own sound yet because there’s a strong Pantera, Entombed and Lamb Of God vibe to it at times, but it’s a powerful debut album that shows a lot of potential for this up and coming band.