Album review: BLACK BLITZ – Louder Than Thunder

Blitz Music [Released 13.12.13]

In their own words, Black Blitz is ‘a high voltage riff thunderstorm from Munich Germany’. Formed three years ago, they are a hard rock outfit with AC/DC riffs and faux Guns ‘n’ Roses style hooks, who will strike an obvious chord with hard rock and metal fans in their native Germany and beyond. What they lack is their own DNA, or a unique selling point that only better songs can give them.

‘Louder Than Thunder’ is their second album and from the opening staccato riff driven ‘Drinking Dynamite’ they impressively combine guitar driven hard rock with rock and roll, but it’s a big opening they struggle to emulate on the rest of the album.

‘Going Against the Grain’ is another AC/DC influenced riff rocker, but in truth Thomas Bauer’s vocals don’t quite have the range to match his own steely riffs. The result is that the band is a little one dimensional, with the tight rhythm section of pile driving drummer Thomas Pribbenow and Christian Reiter’s unobtrusive bass establishing a rock hard groove that doesn’t really go anywhere.

‘Keep ‘Em Coming’ sounds retro to the point of being an 80’s big hair metal band, while the title track is pedestrian, and struggles with an unmemorable hook that is saved by a brief but impressive shred from Bauer.

The problem with ‘Louder Than Thunder’ is that while it certainly rocks hard enough, the material is too derivative and could do with a better vocal. Hard rock and metal is a crowded market place and this album must be regarded as a stepping stone rather than the finished article.

The title track for example, doesn’t quite live up to its title, while ‘The Call Of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is a decent stab at hard rock and the closest they get to an anthem. Thomas Bauer’s slashed riffs give ‘Daily Dose’ some real bite, but he’s in fire fighting mode on ‘Fire & Forget’, which is only saved by his nifty guitar work.

By the closing cliché ridden dirge of ‘Satan Is Waitin’ they are in danger of recycling Metal’s worst lyrical excesses: ‘Her body got me hypnotized, I can’t help, I can’t defy, She’s a sinner, she’s an angel, That sold her soul to the devil’.

Black Blitz rock hard enough, but they need stronger material and a better vocal to cross over their riff heavy rock to a bigger audience. ***

Review by Pete Feenstra

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)