Exit The Excrement: A Guide To REAL Australian Music
Thunderstag (Hard Rock/Melbourne)
Julian James - vocals Rick Ruin - guitar Dizzy Dean - double bass Riley Strong - guitar Ben Meano - drums
Thunderstag was born from the ashes of former, very talented underground bands "The Shine," "Voodoo Lovecats," "Catwitch," "The Runaway Boys" and "Desecrator." The latter in actual fact are not only still active and rockin' the Casbah but are about to release an album of their own. All of whom fell victim to the lack of vision the current industry suffers from and should have gone on to become part of the Australian musical elite, alongside some of those bigger names I listed earlier. But that has already been remarked upon in my previous article so lets move on. The music is quite reminiscent of other well known representatives of Australia I have referenced, But Thunderstag (you have got to love that name) have forged their own identity on top of those roots, utilizing not only the signature "Aussie Rock" sound that once defined the entire industry and made us famous throughout the world, but also what was great about iconic "glam" bands like Kiss and Motley Crue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiZ20I6sgeI Everything about Thunderstag just screams rock'n'roll in every sense of the term. Great, catchy riffs with a thumping rhythm section that stick in your head long after you have turned off your ipod or equivalent. Lyrics describing various states of female undress, sexual practices and how great it is to be a rockstar. Suffice to say that if you can't embrace them for what they are, tells me you can't be too much of a fun person to hang around. I sit here and look for flaws but in regards to the genre they represent, I seemingly can't find any. I am not sure if it has something to do with the combination of musicians from previously established bands, but it is like this "supergroup" somehow has found a successful formula for combining everything that was memorable about their brand of rock from each relevant era, from its inception in the 70's to today. You can hear all sorts of influences from each generation that are too numerous to mention. But at no time does this come off as either a carbon copy, a parody or a incomplete mashup of riffs and egos. In essence, Thunderstag are the ultimate homage to all that is great about rock'n'roll. But somehow managed to create their own, completely separate signature style in the process. The end result is a highly charged experience that even when listening to by yourself in the comfort of your own home, is akin to having the band playing live specifically for you right in front of your eyes every time you hit the play button. Thunderstag represent everything that has been missing from the Australian music industry for quite some time now. An honest to God, good ol' fashion Aussie rock'n'roll band. The type as previously mentioned that influenced music around the world and put us on the map.