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What’s the 4-1-1?
Former Rollins Band drummer Jason Mackenroth comes out from behind
the kit for his debut solo album in which he plays drums, rhythm
guitar, and handles vocals.
Genre
Rock and Roll / blues rock / punk / hard rock
The Good
“Welcome Wasted Again” starts things off driving power chords that
give way to pounding drums and comfortable rhythms. Jason’s vocal delivery
falls somewhere between punk rock wail, and scruffy rock journeyman. Rapid-fire
drums and a galloping lick set the pace for “Going for the Thrill”,
as Jason and his cohorts take you on a wild rock and roll ride through his adopted
hometown. “Mystified” focuses on the inevitable break-up of Mackenroth’s
previous band Mother Superior. The guitar tones and voice inflections really
display his pain and disappointment.
“Torn in Two” is full of pure
rock rhythms and changes. The lyrics don’t cause you to over think either.
Lead guitarist John Kuker really shines during his simple, yet compelling solo
on this blues-based track. “Wild Hot Wind” has a nice southern rock
bounce to it and keeps the energy flowing from start to finish. “Dry County
Shakedown” has the kind of guitar riff that will stick in your head for
days. Jason recalls a run in with the Police down south while he was hanging
with MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. “3’Some” is an all our punk
assault with high speed rhythms and machine gun drums. The song revolves around
a couple of notorious California groupies.
The Bad
A very minor negative is that the production quality is not great, but that’s
expected with self-released material.
The Verdict
This CD was ten times better than I expected, based on its bare-bones packaging.
Jason Mackenroth delivers a straight-up rock record with punk rock sensibilities
on his debut solo album. Each song gives you a personal perspective of Jason’s
life and experiences, which turn out to be interesting, funny, and sometimes
sad.
Did You Know?
Jason Mackenroth has collaborated with funk music legend George Clinton for an
as-yet-unreleased project.
Rating:  out
of 5
--George Dionne
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MACK
