Volbeat - Beyond Heaven/Above Hell

After hearing about Volbeat in September's issue of MetalHammer, I was quite excited to hear what rockabilly metal would sound like. Thankfully Spotify came to my rescue and let me listen to their older albums, and I liked it. A lot. Part rock 'n' roll, part metal, part blues and part country. Quite a mix, but brilliant.

Earlier this week I went back to Spotify and found that the new album, Beyond Heaven/Above Hell, was available for my listening pleasure. I ordered a copy on CD yesterday, but thanks to the magic of the internet this review is brought to you before it even hits the doormat.

The album starts as it means to go on with a stomping, thundering opener. The Mirror And The Ripper has a fast paced verse structure and the slow, heavy chorus will get the feet tapping and set the pace for what's to come.

A host of guest artists and influences make this album incredibly varied. Heaven Nor Hell, featuring Henrik Hall of Love Shop, channels Andrew WK's party anthemics. Jakod Oelund features on 16 Dollars and seems heavily influenced by Run-DMC/Aerosmith's Walk This Way. Mark "Barney" Greenway of Napalm Death features on Evelyn, and it's the only track on the album to include growls of any kind. It works really well, and somehow fits in with the rest of the sound without ever sounding forced or out of place. I was pleasantly surprised.

My favourite track of the album is 7 Shots. Featuring Mille Petrozza and Michael Denner, it bears more than a passing resemblance to Ghost Riders In The Sky. The country style intro and deep blues end to the first verse leading into a cracking rockabilly romp with a thudding bassline that is impossible not to dance to. It can make using a mouse difficult, though, so be wary if you're supposed to be doing something useful!

With so much rock 'n' roll influence, the album gets you in the mood for dancing all the way through, and this is no surprise. Volbeat's name is itself a portmanteau of Volume and Beat and epitomises both the musical style and its effect on the listener.

Luckily for me, I discovered via last.fm that Volbeat are playing Sheffield in November. Will definitely have to go to that.