IN REVIEW: Danko Jones - "Fire Music"

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Longstanding Canuck rockers Danko Jones' seventh record, and first in three years, continues to be completely devoted to old school, loud n' proud rock n' roll. Fire Music doesn't leave too many of Danko Jones' usual boxes unchecked; you get beefy riffs galore, huge hooks and, in the case of single Do You Wanna Rock, a metric shit tonne of cowbell. What sets the album apart from recent efforts is its velocity; this record goes for the jugular early and often. The Twisting Knife, Gonna Be A Fight Tonight and Body Bags are a trio of punked-up tracks that don't skimp on speed or energy, all sequenced together on the A-side.

The lyrics are as silly as ever, with a couple of eye rollers included (Getting Into Drugs is particularly sketchy), and the mid-tempo numbers for the most part scratch the same itch as they've been digging at nearly 20 years now, but Fire Music doesn't commit any sin that's too grievous. It doesn't really break any new ground for the band, but it certainly doesn't bury them either.

February 10, 2015 • New Damage
Highlights The Twisting Knife • Body Bags • Do You Wanna Rock

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