God Damn – Vultures

Even if you’re not convinced of Wolverhampton-based hard rock duo God Damn’s outstanding technical ability by the first slew on torrential drum fills on When the Wind Blows, there’s no getting past the tsunami that is the title track’s opening bars – demonstrating a rapid, pummeling furiousity, it’s likely earned the band a devoted following on the local club circuit.

The thrill of such live showmanship doesn’t translate on a record however and while there are occasional moments of dynamite among these tracks, God Damn too often substitute craftsmanship for a sheer brute force that isn’t enough to sustain interest levels for the duration of their debut. While the bluesy chug of Horus and the leftfield chord progression on aforementioned Vultures hint at a distinctiveness God Damn might yet accomplish, their first effort is a fairly anonymous album that will likely appeal to fans of Queens of the Stone Age without offering them a whole lot new. [Andrew Gordon]