Damage Control - Raw (2022)

Damage Control is the sound of drummer Chris Slade (Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Asia, the Firm, etc), bassist Pete Way (UFO, Waysted) and session guitarist Robin George, unleashed as a bruisingly '70-styled hard rock band, thundering across 13 solid slabs of sweat. Shedding vocalist Spike since their eponymous debut in 2007, the band is now fronted by George, who argues that he's not really a rock vocalist, but he still fills the void with surprising aplomb, and a well-rounded and almost politely enunciated voice that offers a dramatic counterpoint to the pummeling taking place behind him.

Dominated by a dark, bluesy feel, which itself is fed greedily by George's distortedly fuzz-framed guitar, Raw does lose its focus a couple of times, reverting to a rent-a-riff lumber when it doesn't have anything more interesting to do. But you're five or six songs into the set before that even starts to become noticeable, meaning it's already a far better album than most 21st century veteran rock collections. And it runs out on such a salvo of savagery that 13 tracks seems far too few. ~ Dave Thompson