Double album on pink vinyls with gatefold cover. Rock music has been waiting a long time for a band like Massive to come along. Bold and brash they may be, but these Aussie rockers know what makes a good tune, because their debut album is rammed full of them. I know we’ve got a few very good newer rock bands around at the moment. Fact is though there’s still no one that actually sounds like they want to take over the world right now, in one giant leap. That was until Massive rocked up with their quite stunning debut album Full Throttle. I’m not sure what it is about Australian bands, they don’t tend to come along very often but when they do they are usually out of this world. Remember, Ac/dc are originally from down under and they’ve done quite well for themselves. In fact comparisons between the two bands are not misplaced. Both have an original take on the hard rock sound, both play their music to the max and both have a knack for knowing what a rock fans ears want to hear. It does have to be said that even in their heyday Ac/dc could never really have been described as good looking. Massive on the other hand, even to my untrained eye, have the kind of Antipodean rock dude looks that will make women moist at fifty paces. So, they have great songs, can play, look great and they’re generous too. Normally on an album you get ten or eleven songs, many of them these days no more than little filler pieces. Here you get fourteen full length no-stepping-off-the-gas killer anthems. One By One sets the scene with a big riffing intro and grin inducing sing along chorus. It might be by the numbers in some ways, it certainly following tried and tested methods, but there’s always new ways to navigate even the most well worn of paths. Rather than let things slide or throw in something at odds in the name of variety after a few songs we find the Melbourne quartet instead go for the kill with hit in waiting Dancefloor. Just the bass intro alone defies you not to at least nod your head. When it’s in full flow and you hear the command to “Jump”, that’s exactly what you’ll want to do. Doesn’t matter where you are, you will jump! The only real downside to Full Throttle is that at just shy of an hour all that boundless enthusiasm might leave you wanting a breather. It’s a bit like having your own personal live concert, the music transfers that well that it actually wore me out listening to it. Please let them be this good live though, because if they can match these kind of performance levels on stage they will be unstoppable. Long before they wrote a song about Bruce Willis saving the world by blowing up a big rock Aerosmith conquered the globe with a fast and furious blues meets rock sound, and they did it meeting instant recognition. Bon Scott era AC/DC did much the same thing with their own mix of the same ingredients. Those are two of the biggest bands on the planet and they’re showing their age now. Maybe the time is right for the baton to be passed to the next in line. Not just a name but a statement of intent, Massive could end up being the most prophetic band title of all time. Track listing:1. One By One2. Hollywood3. Big Trend Setter4. Dancefloor5. Lacey6. Ghost7. Burn The Sun8. Bring Down The City9. Now Or Never10. Best Of Both Worlds11. Full Throttle12. Halo Or The Gun13. Same Old Story14. If You Want Blood (Youve Got It)-Ac/dc cover15. Rats In The Cellar-Aerosmith cover
