Getting mail is a wonderful thing! It’s always exciting to check your mailbox and find that package of music and/or merchandise that you ordered from a band you love. What a pleasant surprise it is to find something sent from a band that you’ve never heard of that turns out to blow your mind! Such is the case with Best Served Cold, the debut album from Australia’s Sister Switchblade.
The band rises from the ashes of vocalist Andy Smith‘s former outfit, BabyJane. Admittedly I have never heard of BabyJane before doing this quick bit of research. Seems that I should have…I’ll check into that a bit later. Apparently, after the demise of BabyJane on New Years Day 2016, Smith was quickly back in business. It was a mere week later that he recorded the new band’s moniker track “Sister Switchblade” with original Love/Hate guitarist Jon E. Love. Actually, a bonus track found at the end of the 10 piece album, “Sister Switchblade” sleazily barrels along during its two and a half minute runtime.
It appears that Mr. Smith possesses quite the talents. From what I could see via ye olde internet, he performs not only all vocals but the bulk of the instrumentation too! Save for drums on two songs and most of the guitar solos, Smith does it all.
SISTER SWITCHBLADE – BEST SERVED COLD
Best Served Cold features absolutely fantastic hard rock/sleaze rock gems. Beginning with “Twenty Three Sins”, my attention was raised immediately. Probably my favorite cut of the bunch, “Back To Babylon” can be found in the number two position. It’s just catchy and memorable and I dare you not to raise your fist…or at least get your toe tapping! From the mid-tempo grinder of “Come Midnight”, to the harder edge of neck-breaker “No Enemies”. The melodic Motley Crue-ish pace of “Downtown” to the sleaze infused “Sweet Venus Salvation” and the ripper “Ground Zero”. Eight of the eleven (including the bonus) compositions on Best Served Cold completely satisfy.
There are only three things wrong with Best Served Cold. Well, wrong for me at least. Ballads, ballads, ballads. Man do I ever hate ballads. Such a momentum killer mixed in between some high energy out and out rockers. And Best Served Cold has three of the damn things! While not the worst I’ve heard, “Breathe”, “Sleeping With Snakes” and “My Midnight Monkey” are just not my preferred flavor of rock. That’s just a personal thing, in fact, these may be top notch to those enjoying the ballad style.
Overall, a fantastic release and I extend my utmost thanks to Andy Smith for raising my awareness of Sister Switchblade. By the way, anyone else see something different than first appears in the album cover?
Cheers,The Meister
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