The Deadly Snakes

Toronto’s blues rock house party is back with their third album of soulful songs that put the raw back in rawk. Not as raw as they have been in the past, mind you, but with a continued progression in musicianship and arrangement this is still some of hottest garage going. With short-term member Greg Oblivion stepping aside, the band seem even more focused on Ode To Joy, taking their heart-felt rock a step further. The rollicking "I Can’t Sleep At Night” fires up like a party at its peak while the aching lament of "Playboys” bleeds with passion. We also find the traditional Southern gothic "Oh My Bride” bringing to mind the dark stylings of Nick Cave while the wonderfully chaotic organ rave-up of "Burn Down The Valley” simply tears it up. Piano licks and guitar riffs carry the best hook-laden tracks like should-be classics "There Goes Your Corpse Again” and "Everybody Seems To Think” and they sound like they mean it. Sure there’s lots of rock’n’roll out there but the Deadly Snakes have got its often forgotten essential ingredient in abundance and that would be soul.