WALTER TROUT BAND ~ Relentless Ruf Records

From the figures of New Jersey native, Walter Trout and his band of radicals comes 14 fire-breathing blues gems packed with soul and delivered fully amplified. Eleven records in to the game including playing sideman to John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thorton as well as stints with John Mayall and Canned Heat, Trout maintains his ability to craft precision melodic blues with a bite.

Compared by some to British blues-rock maestro Gary Moore, Trout moves easily from the keyboard-tinged “Jericho Road” to the heavy-riff “I’m Tired” and “Work No More.” His lyrics link the passion and anguish of life (Cry If You Want To, Collingswood) to the volt of time on the road (The Life I Chose) with a lethal dose of shotgun swagger and 4am whiskey. Standout tracks like “Talk To Ya” which braces a full-on blues shuffle, with piercing shards of electric notes, and the Hendrix-inspired “Chatroom Girl” infuse Trout’s dedication to the blues by embracing his influences and making them his own.

Recorded live in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) at a club called Paradiso, the disc benefits from a spontaneous, organic texture that not only elevates the playing but stretches out several of the solos and band jams without compromising the integrity of the songs. “My Heart Is True” and “Helpin’ Hand” are just two examples of how great this band is live realizing they recorded the whole disc in one day with little pre-production. Says Marie Trout about her husband in the liner notes, “The boy grew up, but the guitar still expresses his deepest emotions.”

Website: waltertroutband.com

Review by Todd Smith http://www.thecutting-edge.net/