The Treatment – Waiting For Good Luck
Frontiers Music srl
Release Date: 09/04/2021
Running Time: 44:25
Review by Simon Black
9/10
Cambridge UK-based Hard Rock band The Treatment have been cranking out solidly delivered Rock ‘n’ Roll since 2008, although this (their fifth) album is the first time I’ve had the privilege of coming across their work. This might be a great place to start if you haven’t either, as after a quick exploration of their back catalogue on stream, this album would appear to be a full couple of notches up from previous releases.
Kicking off with a harmonised vocal intro and chorus that Def Leppard would have been proud of in the 80’s, ‘Rat Race’ gets things moving with mid-tempo guitar riff-driven rocker. It’s probably the most commercial sounding song on here, and belies the direction the album takes after this, but hints at the main musical influence from here on in. The first and most blatantly obvious comparison is with early AC/DC, with riff structures that are straight off of either the “High Voltage” or “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” era albums. That comparison was probably not lost in the mix down either, as stalwart producer Kevin Shirley has done a fine job in echoing that rich fat rhythm guitar ripping-riffage sound that Malcolm Young probably should have trademarked. Add to this vocalist Tom Rampton is definitely channelling his inner Bon Scott for his sophomore album with these guys. I don’t have a problem with this, as this style of music is truly timeless and always storms the barn live and his voice has a nice soulful gravelly edge to it that literally drips charisma. This is particularly audible on the slower or more openly bluesy tracks, such as ‘Eyes On You’, where you also get to hear a slightly higher register to his vocal range to go with a catchy fag lighter-waver of a chorus.
With a dozen tracks averaging at the three and a half minute mark, this is not an album that wants to out stay its welcome, and to be fair it positively flies by. Lyrically it is in places a bit dated and sexualised for this decade and age, but it’s more cheekily cheesy than offensive or crass and even the worst example of this ‘Lightning In A Bottle’ is frankly not going to upset anyone. All this will go down just fine at a biker rally, but I would hope that this album opens them up to bigger and wider audiences. Just don’t let yourself be put off by the rather trashy photographic cover, as the music and production are nowhere near as tacky as that image implies.
I really hope that this album takes them up a level, as this kind of soulful and gutsy Rock ’N’Roll never gets stale when done properly and once in a blue moon a band coming along and opening up the audience to this style of music is never a bad thing.
‘Rat Race’ (Official Video)
TRACKLISTING:
01. Rat Race
02. Take It Or Leave It
03. Lightning In A Bottle
04. Vampress
05. Eyes On You
06. No Way Home
07. Devil In The Detail
08. Tough Kid
09. Hold Fire
10. Barman
11. Let’s Make Money
12. Wrong Way
LINE-UP:
Tom Rampton – Vocals
Dhani Mansworth – Drums
Tagore Grey – Guitars
Tao Grey – Guitar and Bass Guitar
LINKS:
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