Beat the Devil's Tattoo in Bloomington, MN

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club'
s 2010 album,
Beat the Devil's Tattoo
, finds the band splitting the difference between the rootsy Americana of 2005's
Howl
and the return to fuzzed-out noise rock that was 2007's
Baby 81
. Having once again parted ways with original drummer
Nick Jago
, bassist
Robert Levon Been
and guitarist
Peter Hayes
seem to have found a renewed creative spark with replacement drummer
Leah Shapiro
.
Shapiro
comes to the fold with strong noise rock credentials, having been a member of the punk-psych N.Y.C.-based
Dead Combo
and touring with
the Raveonettes
. With an overall sound that seems inspired by a searing mix of old-timey blues mixed with a hypodermic blast of melodic noise, there is a driving, wild-eyed intensity to many of the tracks on
. From the opening death-ballad title track and the gospel-meets-Madchester
"Conscience Killer,"
the stoned robot funk of
"War Machine,"
and the blissed-out acoustic folk ballad
"Sweet Feeling,"
BRMC
are in top form. But if you're looking for gutting-jet-engine lift-off, the cosmically epic, sanguine rock anthem
"Bad Blood,"
with its repeated chorus of "I can see it in your eyes and now it's gone" is, like the rest of
, likely to grab you by the throat and leave its mark for some time to come. ~ Matt Collar