Just because rock music seemed to have found its perfect form many decades ago doesn’t mean you can’t play with the template to some degree. I’m not talking about those who are looking to reinvent the wheel or try to fuse the genre with sounds and styles that have no business being in the same room, let alone the same band. Or those who revel in pointless subgenres – the alt-this and post-that brigade. No, rock music knows what it is all about; all you have to do is put your stamp on it to create something fresh yet familiar. And that is what Acid.Prof does here.
Not only are they doing it, but they are doing it live, the ultimate test of the rock band. And they pass with flying colours. The songs are joyous and accessible, ticking all manner of rock and roll boxes from groove to energy to infectiousness to tasteful construction. Mood and melody are as important as drive and energy, though the music has all of that too. Deft piano breaks and mellifluous guitar lines add all the dynamic scope you will ever need on songs such as Paula, The Vampyre is big and clever, both brooding and explosive, and Hold On leans into more rhythm and blues territory, the perfect blend of grace and groove, of power and poignancy.
It’s a great showcase of a band in action and proves that Acid.Prof (great name, by the way) can deliver the goods. And then some. The goods, in this case, being 70’s tinged, foot on the monitor, rock and roll anthems that both kick some arse and cut the mustard. (As we say in the UK. Okay, as I say in the UK, at least.)
