I could tell this was gonna be good just by looking at the album cover… and the name of course, perfect.

The Deadbeats, er, The Leftovers… common mistake, reek of pure evil, barely contained in an abundance of heavy chord progressions that'll pound ya into dust.

Arriving from the same label as those Deadbeats mistakenly alluded to earlier, there's plenty of similarities to draw between the two, Rock & Roll damnation to the extreme.

The Leftovers, gear-jamming miscreants with little concern for public safety, not surprisingly hail from the Swedish underground, take the enlightened melody and power groove of the latest Death Rock examples and muddy 'em up to meet the finest Stooges standards.

Power packed and restless, each tune stands on its own merit… before falling over dead drunk and clearing the way for the next one.

Of course this latest "retro" rock craze being reinvented the world over and Scandinavia in particular has more or less beaten to death that classic style of yesterday's heroes to the point where anyone that's left standing's got to be pretty damned good.

These guys live up to the hype… at least in the underground circuit. They're a little too real… a little too raw… a little too raunchy to be covered in the mainstream so the only place you're ever likely to hear about 'em is in those free street corner rags and the odd club dates.

The Deadbeats were a tad more refined than these boys, fucked up and bangin' hard on the Devil's door, they're gritty, grungy, in a more fashionable sense of the word, and totally without grace… but they can nail a catchy highway 69 anthem with the best of 'em!

As if the first nine cuts weren't anything to get too excited about and start reaching for the calming influence tilted up against the corner wall, they got a track called "Gimme Danger" which of course had me thinking Iggy and co. but unfortunately, no, not this time.

Much different and mercilessly punishing. The face of Hard Rock's at long last getting the make over it's sorely needed and by the time bands like this are done, trust me, it ain't gonna be pretty… and so on that note, I give you The Leftovers-here's mud in your eye… and if that don't suit you, try two fingers!

Released by Fueled Up Records

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]