by Emma

Blondes Make The Best Victims?

Sleazy dirty rock ‘n’ roll anyone? The Authentics could be just what you are looking for.

Opening with a crash of the drums and thick chugging guitar followed by a short but sweet guitar solo virtuoso. The vocals are gritty and whilst they are good vocals they betray the band’s British roots. This is just a small point though on Behind The Mask – the expertise displayed on this first track are prominent. Face The Writing On The Wall is another technically sound track encompassing that hard-hitting thick rock sound and group backing shouts work well with the track. In parts the drums here are great and form an excellent base for the track. The Authentics have the look and feel of early nineties dirty rock and they pull it off quite well, although they are a little on the milder side.
Great melodic tracks such as Burn What Remains and the ‘do-wops’ of Shot In The Dark are those that help bring the album together with their catchy hooks and excitable choruses.

Those showy tracks such as Pervert and the frankly excellent twists and turns of Frustrations & Ultimatums display the undeniable talent of the lead guitarist, reveling in the slick and impressive solos. At some points the vocals sound a little like an adult Cartman (South Park) in certain parts which I just find endearing! Heartbreaker rounds up the album with a wake up call in the shape of a catchy rock anthem.

The Authentics have some work to do, but they have a special quality that is quite rare these days and so I am looking forward to hearing more from these guys in the future.

by Emma

With grilling opening guitar and a dirty fast-rock sound The Authentics seem to be picking up where other bands have left off several years ago. They have been compared to The Wildhearts and I can agree there is an element of the fast guitar and quick lyrics that The Wildhearts were the true masters of. Supercharge is a fine example of sleazy unruly rock with a kick-ass attitude and an arrogance which almost became a staple of the genre in it’s prime. Second track You Wanna Be Me is a less grinding but technicaly sound track, complete with rifftastic guitar solo. Fifteen Minutes of Shame sounds quite busy as the lead guitar tends to outshine the vocals in a vie for attention of the listener. Catchy tune though and a nice bit of stop-start guitar that always bodes well in my view. Final track The Right Stuff is a slow opener, but once it kicks in the shouty backing vocals and righteous tones that remind me a little of early Faith No More, which obviously is a bloody good thing! So, The Right Stuff…one version is a late eighties boy band hit complete with funny dance, and the other an impressive and experimental effort from an up and coming rock group. Which would you prefer?!