Album of the Month: Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

I'm still working through reviewing the stack of CDs I got for Christmas. This latest one is by Danish metal band Volbeat - another band who I first heard played on Planet Rock.

The song I really liked by them is called Lola Montez. It's about the real life dancer and courtesan Lola Montez, who had an incredible life in Europe, America and Australia in the 19th Century. 

Lola fits into the overall American West in the 19th century theme of the album, enhanced by the noir Western artwork in the CD booklet. One picture is clearly meant to be Lola, with her 'spider dance' depicted quite literally.

Other characters lending their names to song titles are outlaws Pearl Hart (another shady lady) and Black Bart and another song is named after Western hero Doc Holliday. There is a 'Lonesome Rider' and a Hangman who are the titular focus of other songs. Some characters feature in the artwork.

The slight country feel of the prelude Let's Shake Some Dust quickly disappears into heavy distorted guitar riffs, but there is a melodic overlay across all the songs, driven by the power vocals of singer Michael Poulson. The country feel returns for Lonesome Rider, which features guest vocals from Canadian singer Sarah Blackwood. 

Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies is an unusual album because it felt to me like it got stronger as it went on. There is a five track sequence in the latter half of the album starting with My Body and ending with The Sinner is You that includes both Lola Montez and Lonesome Rider, that is an incredible selection of songs. 

Overall, this album has made me want to listen to more of Volbeat's output. I like albums that have a rough theme where the tracks seem to be telling several facets of the same story. It lends a fluency to the listening experience. And several of these tunes stuck in my head, which is another sign of a well-made album.

Details

Year of release: 2013

Tracks: 14

Favourite track: While I still like Lola Montez, if I could only pick one track it would be Lonesome Rider. 

Track to skip: A couple of the early tracks are skippable if you want to get to the really good stuff faster. But they are all worth listening to.