Shane’s Rock Challenge: THE ALMIGHTY – 1993 – Powertrippin’

Shane’s Rock Challenge: THE ALMIGHTY – 1993 – Powertrippin’
By Shane Pinnegar
7.5/10

These Scottish greaseballs had delivered two full studio albums by this stage, performing solidly enough for Polydor to pick them up and give them a push, including scoring them the opening slot on Iron Maiden’s Donington Park 1992 Monsters Of Rock festival. Their entire set is featured here on a bonus disc.

To describe The Almighty some use the term ‘biker metal’. They certainly looked the part – greasy, tattooed, long haired scuzzballs who could have been in Motorhead, Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction, or even Dumpy’s Rusty Nuts for that matter.

Musically they were their own men – fusing Ricky Warwick’s poetic ire at religious and political injustice with some of the mightiest riffs to come out of the UK ever. Metal with a conscience, melody, and a punk heartbeat – not to mention an indignant refusal to compromise that ensured they’d never cross over to the mainstream.

Addiction sets the scene: Warwick sings his heart out on this tale, not of drugs and debauchery as is more expected with metal, but of his militant aversion against authority – his addiction to rebel. Set over a riff that’s a little bit Metallica and all-mighty (sorry), it’s a killer track.

Possession, Sick & Wired, the title track, Instinct and Eye To Eye all fight the good fight, while Jesus Loves You But I Don’t shows early signs of Warwick’s future (and pre-Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders) solo career as a singer-songwriter – less forceful, it still carries all of his ire and anti-establishmentarianism.

BONUS DISC: Live From Donington ‘92
8/10

As mentioned above, my copy comes with a bonus disc of the band live at Donington Monsters Of Rock Festival in ’92 – a crackerjack opening set I can assure you, as I was there with my mate Pete and 74,998 of our best mates from all over England and Europe, and a smattering like us from further afield.

It was insane, and this was in the days when a festival was six bands on one stage – and it was much, MUCH more fun than the ADHD-fuelled festivals nowadays with their 90 bands across seven stages, where you’ll only see a few songs from half the bands on your wish list. No, 3 stages is all a festival needs at most… but I digress.

Anyway – The Almighty opened the day – the first European gig we’d seen – and they lived up to their name with a fantastic set of biker metal culminating in Warwick getting us all chanting ‘Fuck’ and singing Wild & Wonderful in unison.

Mighty.

Category: Shane's Rock Challenge