Spiritual Beggars

On Fire (Koch)
by Martin Popoff

Michael Amott continues to prove his deep dictionary, encyclopedia, and instruction manual literacy with respect to the meticulous task of making tasteful metal of all flavors with this trouncing record of retro metal that incredibly, brings new/old sounds to the genre and to Spiritual Beggars simultaneously. The shift is to a pushing and shoving Southern metal sound, beer bellies in collision, pool cues swung and rarely connecting given the boozy fog of their parking lot wielders.

Grizzly bear of a vocalist JB is the perfect new addition to the band, Amott, of course, breaking acrimoniously with Spice who has resurfaced with his own excellent retro act The Mushroom River Band. On Fire offers moving mountains of grooves, big dirty guitars, each instrumentalist blasting away at a rootsy vibe that puts the entire catalogues of Molly Hatchet or Point Blank or Down to shame, also knuckle-dusting all of Skynyrd’s heavy tracks out in that, er, same parking lot the next hung over morning. The very best old music crafted by top-flight archeologists, rock-lifters, fakers, and shakers is here now; unravel and time-travel with the Spiritual Beggars for a boozy night of rock ‘n’ roll you will remember forever.
(740 Broadway 7th Fl. New York, NY 10003)