By: Chris Ball
XII Boar | website | facebook | twitter | bandcamp |
Released on August 12, 2016 via Independent
XII Boar are a London-based three piece, originally from Hampshire, releasing their sophomore album Beyond the Valley of the Triclops, the follow up to 2015’s Pitworthy, imminently.
I first ran into XII Boar at Desertfest a few years back and they made a good, solid first impression, confidently commanding the stage, resplendent in cowboy hats and cut off denims, hammering out good time biker rock. Since then, we’ve lost Lemmy and with the passing of rock n’ rolls spiritual leader, it’s nice to know bands are still being formed by guys with bourbon for blood and ‘Born to Lose’ tattoos.
Yes, XII Boar’s sound is heavily influenced by Motörhead’s over-amplified atomic boogie, but there’s also a big greasy dollop of Clutch-style stoner funk and on this new LP a clear fondness for the hammy, oiled pecs and loin cloth sporting power metal of Manowar. Check out that title and the camp fantasy art of the cover. It’s fair to say XII Boar don’t take themselves or the oeuvre too seriously, in fact they revel in the stereotypes, giving not one fuck – they just want to have fun. And fun they provide in spades with a run of raunchy, grin-inducing, memorable tunes. Highlights include the swinging ‘Black and Blues’, the breakneck ‘El Much Grande’, which fans of Ricky Warwick’s old band The Almighty will enjoy, and the blues belter ‘The Hustle’, which features some fine wailing harmonica. Top of the tree is the feverish, ‘Strange Kinda Lonesome’, a truly magnificent boogie thrash epic.
The album is partly hung upon the fantasy concept of the title with several tracks and spoken word interludes dealing with the legend of and hunt for the titular beast. It’s all lovingly rendered and done firmly with tongue in cheek, but I personally find the tunes aren’t as convincing as the more down n dirty numbers and I wouldn’t be surprised if the band drop this line of attack on future releases. Don’t get me wrong, opener ‘Beyond the Valley’ riffs like a bastard, it’s just I think the band’s boisterous charm is better suited to singing about the seedier side of life. The only other minor quibble, and I noted this on witnessing them live, is that all their tunes come in with a bang, but some overstay their welcome and go out, if not with a whimper then something approaching exhaustion. Still, this is a tremendously enjoyable and accomplished album and in the insanely catchy ‘Strange Kinda Lonesome’, and several other twelve gauge gigantic tunes it has the backbone and spare ribs of one tasty hog roast!
