Rise Again

Alabama Thunderpussy proclaimed its allegiance to the Deep South with its first Man’s Ruin date, Rise Again. The CD booklet contains what appear to be old pictures of Confederate soldiers, and this Richmond, VA, band thanks “the Almighty Lynyrd Skynyrd” in the liner notes. Further, one can safely assume that the title Rise Again is short for “the South shall rise again.” But anyone who thought that Rise Again might be a throwback to 1970s Southern rock was in for a major surprise. Hardly a collection of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, or Outlaws covers, Rise Again showed ATP to be a ferocious, noisy alternative metal outfit that went directly for the jugular. Scorching, in-your-face tunes like “When Mercury Drops” and “Get Mad/Get Even” aren’t big on subtlety — ATP pulls the listener in with its heavy-handed riffs and grooves, and the level of intensity doesn’t let up very often. Die-hard metalheads will find a lot to admire about this promising effort. [The 2005 Relapse edition includes the bonus tracks "Swagart" and "When Mercury Drops."] – Alex Henderson