Much of the time music comes across the desk here at Ghost Cult HQ that is very pretentious, over-wrought and generally trying too hard to fit in with a scene or a sub-genre. A lot of the music business is actually geared that way, to drive bands to conform and cling hard to that approach in an attempt to get a foothold in the ears of fans. Then there’s Scattered Hamlet: no frills rock and metal with a simple approach to kick ass much ass, take names, and just have as much fun as possible. These are the kinds of albums we only hear a few times per year, but always appreciate as reviewers.

On their new album Swamp Rebel Machine (Buck Moon Productions) Scattered Hamlet concocts a potent drink of southern rock and metal, blues and other influences all at once. Unabashedly southern, but with the cleverness and the balls of Outlaw Country genre that fights the notion that the American south falls into the typical media tropes. Song topics are also not out of step with Country music’s better cousins: rocking, fighting, drinking, partying without taking it self too serious to get down properly. Kind of a mix musically of ZZ TOP, PanterA, David Allen Coe, Motorhead and more.

The band has several aces up their sleeve, the main one being frontman Adam Joad’s incredible voice ability to deliver a lyrics that hit you where you live. Song after song on Joad just kills with his whiskey and smoke inflected pipes, and his gritty storytelling. It doesn’t hurt that songs are heavy and full of grooves. 

In a scene of crazy genre jumping and copycats, it’s good to hear a young band hit upon a time-honored style and make it their own thing. We’ll be watching these guys for a long time to come.

8.0/10

KEITH CHACHKES