We Will Reign

Having made their reputation with a brutal folk-punk-blues attack where their leftist politics kicked backsides and took names, The Last Internationale perform more mainstream hard rock on their major-label debut, with former Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk joining Delila Paz and Edgey Pires for this production by Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam). “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Indian Blood” gets things off on an aggressive foot, but songs like “Killing Fields” and “Battleground” work as radio-friendly hard rock anthems that sound bound for summer festivals and winter arenas. The cover of the classic Shirelles track “Baby It’s You” showcases Paz’s soulful vocals and ensures something completely uncontroversial for broadcasters wary of the group’s outspoken reputation. “I’ll Be Alright” settles back into an acoustic heartland-type tune. “Fire” isn't the Jimi Hendrix classic, but their own passionate soul rocker, while “1968” suggests revolution by way of quoting the classic bluesman Howlin’ Wolf among their strategies.