CD REVIEW: BIRDS OF SATAN – Birds Of Satan

Shane | 30 April 2014 | Reply

CD REVIEW: BIRDS OF SATAN – Birds Of Satan
Kobalt
April 2014
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
8.5/10

Taylor Hawkins proves himself quite the talent on this first release from his Birds Of Satan side project, in which he drums, sings and plays a little piano.

Full of time changes, riffs and nods to the past, Birds Of Satan is near-prog-rock – so much so that as Nazareth, Queen, Rush, Foo Fighters, David Bowie and 10CC influences all clamour for prominence, one starts to wonder what the lay Foo Fighters fan will make of it all.

There’s no need for concern though – accompanied by bassist Wiley Hodgden and guitarist Mick Murphy, both of the band Chevy Metal (whose Facebook page describe themselves as “a dirt rock cover band playing deep cuts from Sabbath, Van Halen, Queen and The Stones, to name a few”), Birds Of Satan is practically a tribute to all the classic rockers who have blazed the trails we now find ourselves on.

Nearly ten-minute opener The Ballad Of The Birds Of Satan contains as many time changes as something off And Justice For All, debut single Thanks For The Line is an instantly likeable tune that will appeal to fans of Hawkins’ day job, and speaking of which, apparently Foos bandmates Dave Grohl, Rami Jaffee and Pat Smear all put in an appearance on the record somewhere.

Nothing At All and Wait Til Tomorrow are all flashpots and tight pants alt-stadium rock, with the latter featuring an identikit Eddie Van Halen guitar solo. There’s even a gorgeous, lilting ballad in Raspberries, proving that there’s a helluva lot of substance to The Birds Of Satan.

Wrapping up, Too Far Gone To See takes stylistic tips from Queen and filters them through a Pink Floyd still, with subtly epic results.

For an album recorded in a week’s worth of studio time, Birds Of Satan ticks so many boxes it’s not funny, and is bound to be enjoyed by a large cross section of rock fans, all of whom should be eagerly awaiting the next installment from Taylor Hawkins & Co.

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