The Motorleague - Black Noise [Album]

Forward Music Group

Ask anyone if it's possible for Canadians to rock and they will say, "No, of course not. Get the hell away from me - you stink". Well New Brunswick's Motorleague are here to try and turn the tide of accepted popular opinion with their own particular brand of hard rock.

Black Noise hits the ground running with some chunky riffs on 'Big Times'. It's a solid opener and lets you know exactly what you are in for over the next ten songs - Foo Fighters esque riffage and 'All My Life' vocal stylings. The comparison is most obviously born out on 'You Wear Me Down', which nine out of ten people would be sure to put down as the Grohl troop's work.

That actually says volumes for the production that has gone into this record though. It's more than up to scratch with no dips in level and a clean sound that lets the musician's excitable style come through unsullied, matching their far better financed major label competition.

The punk sensibilities and Warped Tour love are here though and they both force their way to the fore on 'Let It Go'. It heralds a much faster and heavier period of "Black Noise" with what sounds like a pissed off Lemmy blasting out the backing vocals. A very good thing!

The tempo remains high right the way through to closer 'Hymn For The Nearly Departed' - far and away the most poppy song on offer. The upbeat ba-ba-baing actually feel out of place here amongst all the anger. That and the trumpets. Odd way to end the album, but there it is.

Lyrically there are some nice turns of phrase but for the most part it is standard marginalised dissatisfaction. Example:

'Forced out and don't we know,
The way it works when you're all alone,
For no one will get this but our own.'
- 'No Rest For The Useless'

Not exactly Rage Against The Machine but I've heard plenty worse, that's for sure.

The Motorleague have kept things short and sweet for this, their debut, at around the half hour mark but they give it hell for leather all the way to the end so if you fancy turning something up to ear-bleed levels and sticking two fingers up at your parents bedroom wall then "Black Noise" by The Motorleague is a fine soundtrack.

So then, Canadians. I guess you can rock after all!