The Rippers - A Gut Feeling

The atmosphere seems ripe for a rock n roll call to be put out, for those willing to answer, to seriously kick out some jams, warts and all. It seems that Cagliari's seasoned R&B/Garage Punk Rockers - The Rippers, have just taken the call. By unleashing their latest 12-track barrage of rough and ready numbers, Gut Feeling, it sure aims to perk literally anyone up who needs it.

As though bursting out of a set restraining stocks, 'A Lot Of Time' has clanging guitars and driving drums, keeping up with the bass and frantic blues-harp. If that was not enough to sober you out of slumber, the lead vocals are as gnarly as you're going to get and they combined with the other instrumenets are full of vitriol promise. Bounding bass and drums underpin an overlayed relentless guitar-fueled energy. 'Piece Of My Heart' gets spurred on by brash overdriven guitars riffs, grappling with tireless Joe Strummer type vocal delivery.

The Seeds gets caught up with a particle acceleratedTroggs, thrusting 'Pain' into Hyper Surf Rock territory.  There is no letting up on this album at all, you try to catch you breath for a moment and by the scruff of your neck, you are thrown forward from one song to the next, as the unapologetically boisterous 'Shiny And Brown' allows you to spontaneously jump about in a frenzy. This frantically moves up a sped-up Stooges gear, when 'No One Cares' erupts, as wailing blues harp, biting guitar, overlay a hammer and tongs thumping bass/drums workout. Hold tight too for 'I Saw A Man', which packs an equally powerful charge, to light a few stadiums.

A bit of a Kinks-type drum groove ensues via a sure-fire guitar riff on 'It's Gone', which then moves onto a stormy ride of haunting vocal harmonies over the western galloping 'So Loud'.  While there are no slow jams in sight so far, it is refreshing to know that the band's live show should possess enough charge to light a few stadiums. The catchy fiery stomp of New York Dolls-esque 'She Told Me Later' has a repetitive riff accompanied by a key vocal line "You can love who you prefer, but I don't care". This lead to the intensely pulsing last number 'Screams',  quite truly tears the roof off,  with rapid fire chugging and last-ditch effort roaring from the head Ripper.

Gut Feeling could emerge as a welcome antidote for disillusioned rockers, wanting to escape the current drifting deluge of mainstream rock. The Rippers revive a vintage rebel cool and illuminates that early rock n roll essence.