Biters – The Future Aint What It Used To Be (Earache Records)
Genre: Rock
Biters may have toured with Blackberry Smoke and Sum 41, but is their bark worse than their bite or is the hype deserved?
The Future Aint What It Used To Be is the follow up from their 2015 debut Electric Blood, but the record is more subdued than lively and lead singer Tuk’s mission to bring no-nonsense rock ‘n roll back to the masses has gone off track.
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While it could be argued that Kentucky natives Black Stone Cherry accomplished that mission first with their first two albums, Georgia locals Biters have produced a more vanilla offering when compared to the hot wings fare served up on Black Stone Cherry and Folklore and Superstition
There are undoubtedly some nice bits on the record, and Let It Roll opens the album on an optimistic note. The song is a throwback with an easy singalong chorus and inoffensive musical offering – but it feels like somewhere along the way the band forgot to really let rip and that’s a crying shame.
Songs about heartbreak and romance are all well and good in their own way, but it feels like overkill on The Future Aint What It Used To Be as Stone Cold Love, Callin’ You Home, Don’t Turn This Good Heart Bad, Gypsy Rose and No Stranger To Heartbreak all croon about relationships.
Again there is no reason why that’s an inherently bad thing and there are certainly some pleasant licks hidden among those songs, especially on Stone Cold Love – but the problem is the whole album seems to fuse and melt into one sickly sweet mass.
Biters are trying to save a genre that isn’t facing an existential crisis, but maybe their brand of rock can find its niche on the softer edges.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 6/10 All bark, no bite.
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