Category:
Rock / Punk

Try if you like:
Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Tsar

I have to admit, I have been pretty excited not only about Superdrag putting out another album but having the original line up from the Regretfully Yours days. Yes, the whole band is back together and they've gone to the studio for another album, Industry Giants, Superdrag's first album in 7 years.

This is where expectations fall to the wayside. The songs are fairly strong on Industry Giants but I can't help feel that the band have taken a few steps back. They may have recaptured the energy and power they had as a young band but they seem to have stopped there. John Davis had taken the band quite a bit further than the first two full-lengths. Industry Giants headed back to the garage and that's what we get here. More of a garage effort than a fleshed out power rock band. 

It's not terrible though, just mediocre. The album kicks off very strong with the powerhouse "Slow To Anger". Then they drop into a quieter track on "Live and Breathe", actually one of the better tracks as well. "I Only Want A Place I Can Stay" had potential as well. It's a great power pop track but it seemed to lack a little in the passion department. That's pretty much how I felt for the entire Industry Giants. I felt it was a talented band just going through the motions, no real passion. The songs are well written so I think this feeling just comes through in the delivery. It sort of went downhill on "Cheap Poltergeists". Decent song but it felt somewhat amateurish. "Try" just seemed to trudge along a little too slowly. "Ready To Go" brought things back up to par, even though it ended up a little repetitive. "Filthy and Afraid" was up to expectations. Then the garage feeling really comes out on "You're Alive" where Davis chooses to growl out the vocals, a tactic that Superdrag has never done thus far. This type of vibe continues on the next track as well.

Did John Davis sacrifice some quality and control to get all of the members back into the fold? Maybe, but here's hoping that their next effort will move the band in a forward direction. Comfort levels will be back up to par and they will be able to push the boundaries again. This review may seem a bit harsh but my expectations were quite high, and in the end, I still found enjoyment out of Industry Giants and I found myself optimistic about a place in Superdrag's future.