THE ALMIGHTY: “Crank” (Chrysalis)

THE ALMIGHTY have come a fair way since their debut Blood Fire And Love: Crank sees the Glaswegian metal merchants dealing in socio-political observation instead of jaded cock-rock.

‘Ultraviolent’ kick-starts the album into life, as Ricky Warwick & Co. launch into a heavy, snarling aural assault. I know it’s been said before, but the comparisons between Warwick’s warblings and the legendary Lemmy’s throaty roar are as valid as ever. In fact, much of Crank sounds as if Motorhead met up with Therapy? in an old run-down pub and decided to thrash out (literally) over a few tunes. The Almighty have added an industrial element to t heir sound, sometimes painfully reminiscent of the men from Larne. In a truly ironic gesture, Therapy?’s Andy Cairns pops up with some backing vocals on the album.

Warwick’s voice sounds like he puts it through a gruelling training session each day – a three-bottles-of-Jack-Daniels and half-a-tonne-of-grit-for-breakfast sort of session, that is. As for the rest of the band, from the Therapy?-like power chords of ‘Wrench’ to the vintage Motorhead of ‘Move Right In’ they seem to be enjoying themselves immensely. The latter is dangerously fast at times, the bass and guitar sounding like they’re on speed, rushing headlong towards the chorus.

Rather than confronting real issues, The Almighty indulge in sweeping condemnations of society which all too often sound tired and childish. To paraphrase a popular Dublin author, I’m sure their unspecified targets are shitting themselves.

The rather naïve lyrics apart, Crank is a fairly decent album. The influences are a bit too blatant but The Almighty can still kick up quite a storm when they try, and they have some nice melodies, even if they are hidden behind a wall of guitar. Crank it up!

• John Walshe