Black Magick Boogieland

Bringing together members of punkers Gewapend Beton, and metal beasts Mühr and The Devil's Blood, Dutch four-piece Death Alley takes a slightly different route through the bowels of Hades, going by way of the swampy South and far-out space odysseys. Their debut, Black Magick Boogieland, is a fired-up and fucked-up chopper ride through the desert where greasy riffs must be chugged down with cold beer. It's a familiar sound that has been perfected in decades past by bands like Cream, Motörhead and Monster Magnet, and one that still seduces legions who just wanna grip and rip. But Death Alley does a little more with the well-worn style of heavy rock. Look no further than the title track, which boogies hard, with a choppy blues riff that'll make your head spin, while 12-minute closer “Supernatural Predator” is a psychedelic rocket ride through a Frank Frazetta poster. Black Magick Boogieland is a compact eight songs—any more would've been too much. And the respective members bring the perfect balance of hooks, old-school metal riffs and solos, with just the right amount of malevolence. Make the trip if you dare.