The code of the road is that it's never too loud!
Danko Jones from Ontario, Canada are one of those bands who sound a lot different from the way they look, and depending on your musical taste this is either a good or a bad thing! This is the band’s fourth album and it’s packed full of great solid Rock songs with a mix of AC/DC’s simplistic foot-stomping Rock, to the slightly more Glam meets Rock vision of Ginger of The Wildhearts.
Album opener and first single, ‘Code Of The Road’ is packed with fuzzy Metal guitar riffs and is a slightly snarling Motorhead tribute with an added touch of harmonies. ‘City Streets’ with chugging guitars and more thoughtful lyrics is slightly more early-90’s Rock, xand I do mean that as a compliment. This then leads to the highly infectious anthem of, ‘Still In High School’, packed full of riffs bigger than an ‘80’s hairdo, it’s a head-banging classic, even if lyrically it’s a little like, er, high school…
The acoustic swing of the slow ballad, ‘Take Me Home’, is brilliant, sounding a little like a Bon Jovi, Poison or a Motley Crue ballad but from their better days, and covered by The Wildhearts. ‘Let’s Get Undressed’ could easily have been an AC/DC song, as could ‘King Of Magazines’, however it’s worth pointing out that it’s more the structure of the songs which are quick blasts of Classic Rock (big chunky riffs and thumping beats) but also with a twist of The Wildhearts melodies, and Ginger heavily influences the style on the great ‘Something Better’ too.
There is a nod to some old school Rock with some great riffs that could’ve been on any Black Sabbath song in ‘Forest For The Trees’, including epic song length and a more musically challenging arrangement. ‘Your Tears, My Smile’ is a great Hard Rock song, whilst ‘Ravenous’ could easily be a Thin Lizzy cover. The Last song is album title track, ‘Never Too Loud’ which is one of the best tracks on here and a fine ending to a surprisingly good album. Ball-busting Rock showcasing the guitar as a weapon once again!
Having recently toured with Motorhead and Saxon you maybe thinking that they appeal only to an ‘older’ audience, however this is definitely not the case, and whilst ‘Never Too Loud’ is packed full of elements of classic older bands, this is wrapped up and face-lifted into a nice sexy contemporary package. There are also the good contrasting elements of quick catchy chorus’s, and more complex attractions that take a few listens before being fully appreciated, adding to the need to want to listen to this album over and over again.
Not a mix of Welsh and German as first thought but a good hard rocking band, Danko Jones get better and better with each album, so let the good times rock! Yeah!