EP REVIEW: Rebuke Revoke – Deathbarrel

‘Norwegian outlaw country?’, I hear you ask, just when you thought you’d heard it all! With all the stylistic influences of old American blues but filtered through the genes of old Norse berserkers, consider us interested. Eight years after their debut album, DEATHBARREL are back with a brand new EP, Rebuke Revoke, recorded & mixed by Hans Ole Kristianen at Studio 11Q. 

We had to smile when we heard Walk Of Shame kick things off in true country style with a gentle picking banjo intro guiding you into the addition of percussion and voice. Vocalist Mr Strangeland is the perfect fit for this self-announced ‘outlaw country’ genre, his voice is rich and strong, coarse yet smooth when it needs to be. The brass really fills out this track and comes in occasionally to add a little more depth and complexity with an ominous, brooding sound. 

South Of The Border takes on a different sort of energy, fresh and breezy, you can almost hear the sunshine dappling through the trees in a Southern state. It’s hard to believe these guys are from Norway, the sound is authentically country, complete with a soft southern twang on Strangeland’s accent which doesn’t sound forced. Violin and acoustic guitar layer nicely in this track to create positive energy and a light spring in the step. 

Continuing with this energy, Heard It All Before keeps up the upbeat style. With all the groove and attitude of old school blues, the chorus is simple and catchy. There are some lovely guitar solos throughout this EP, and this track is no stranger to them. A soft guitar tone thick with dust and yet still detailed and crisp, there’s no rush to move quickly and show off here, just a perfect addition to the song.

Simple Boy could easily be the soundtrack to a dirty bar fight after one too many whiskeys, complete with tables thrown and smashed beer bottles. The darkness of the guitar and that ominous brass sound from Walk Of Shame comes back here to create the strongest track on the album. The layers of instruments are almost discordant and abrasive together, but this creates a wonderfully unique and interesting sound. Strangeland’s vocals take a different path here, touches of vibrato and almost spoken word sections mean the passion and emotion comes through here easily. 

If the thought of Norwegian country filtered through southern blues makes you raise your eyebrows, trust us, just give this a go. There’s something about DEATHBARREL that piques your curiosity, if you’ve played traditional blues to death then this could be a refreshing twist on the genre. This EP is promising to say the least, so if you’re a fan of country with a difference, keep an eye on what these guys get up to.

Rating: 8/10

Rebuke Revoke is out now via Soulseller Records.

Like DEATHBARREL on Facebook.