Thunderboss – S/T / 2006 Poptown / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thunderboss / http://www.poptownrecords.com / Reviewed 30 August 2006

“Hey” is a track that is pretty middle of the road and does not do much of anything to create a specific sound for Thunderboss. Pretty much all of the vocal presence during this track is the title phrase, with a guitar line that sounds as if it was a sample for some cheesy rap sound that tried to have a little bit of “country” flavor. The guitar work goes into a hair metal jag for a little bit, but the nearly three minutes of this track is too much for the small amount of new material that the band brings to the table on the track. “Fast or Finish” is much of the same, with the guitar line sounding as if it was pulled off some FOX show from the early nineties (The Heights or Beverly Hills 90210).

The slightly punky drums interact in interesting ways with the track, but there is still a sense that the band is missing something to completer the track. If there was just more in the way of new material inserted into each of these early tracks, the band would be faring a lot better than they are at this point. I understand if a band wants to do the instrumental thing for a track or two, but without providing much in the way of material for individuals to chew on, even if the songs are short, is a recipe for disaster. My forecast for success for Thunderboss would be to go forth and either pick up a vocalist and drummer or to differentiate the tracks that are on their next album.

The guitars and drums on the disc are interesting at points, but what happens pretty much with every song is that Thunderboss rides the groove that they create into the ground. There is no need to sit on one’s laurels like the band does during the disc; by doing that, they keep individuals from listening to the entirety of the disc. So as it is, if you want to pick up an instrumental rock or surf album, find an old Dick Dale LP; if you want to find solid rock, one might do well to skip over this album. As for Thunderboss, I’d like to hear this disc redone with more material thrown into each track and a vocalist to head up the band. Hopefully the band can expand their sound in the next few years.

Top Tracks: The Crube Train, King of the Road

Rating: 3.0/10

[JMcQ]