Lock Horns are one of the many bands we spoke to at Bloodstock 2019, and they furnished us with a copy of their album after our chat. Belated, my apologies, but we promise to review every EP or album handed to us at Bloodstock and this one might just squeeze into the same calendar year…
I caught a smidgen of Lock Horns’ set over the weekend (it was so busy!) and they impressed live, but sometimes that energy and heaviness doesn’t quite fit onto a shiny silver disc. No such worries. As soon as I started spinning Molon Labe, “Stagnant” informed me that my headphones would be in for a battering.
The title track is even better, and “LOW” throws in some clean vocals just to mix things up. It still drop-tunes the hell out of the guitars though.
If I was to pick a band they remind me of, it’s Lamb of God for the heavier sections but they’re by no means stuck in this “sounding like…” rut. They have chops and grooves, but the mixed vocal styles set them apart. Plus the production is great. The intro to “Blood and Oil” is a drum-fueled masterpiece, and recent single/video “Pages” is another highlight.
As I said earlier, not only do these guys know how to rattle off a few good tunes, they also put on a blinder of a live show. Catch them live, grab a CD for the collection. You know it makes sense.
Molon Labe is out now and available from the band’s online shop (plus streaming services)
Lock Horns: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube | spotify
