God Bless the American Plague

The American Plague are a rock trio who wear their influences on their sleeve. And proud to do so! Whether the band taps into classic metal and '70s hard rock arrangements like they do on "Sympathy for the King," the group make the most of each cut. On the aforementioned song, lead singer Jaw steers the band from old-school hard rock into a grittier brand of radio-friendly nu-rock. Meanwhile, the trio keep things relatively simple for "What If" that brings to mind an early version of Nickelback with some punk rock leanings. The band is luckier the third time around with "9 Times Outta 10" that is a finely-crafted yet somewhat ragged gem that sounds like Bob Seger fronting the Goo Goo Dolls. The first raunchy, roadhouse rocker comes during "Highwayman" that takes a while to get off the ground but then soars quite quickly into a rock-meets-rockabilly flavor. Many of the songs show promise, but not as many deliver as expected. One exception, however, is the straightforward, energetic "Burn It Down" that is a guitar-driven rock track, resembling a class Bad Company effort before heading into heavy metal turf at full steam. The cover of Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" is also another highlight, but perhaps mainly because of the selection chosen. It seems the shorter the songs, the crisper and prettier the results, especially on "Doubt." The American Plague wreak their sonic havoc best during "Flesh & Bone" which is pure AC/DC-like boogie rock.