Dark Meat - 'Universal Indians'

Dark Meat's greatest asset, is also their biggest weakness.

With members numbering 17, they are less a group, than a collective.

And while this makes for a multi layered, sound whose intense and passionate performance comes through, at times it also makes for an unfocused, sprawling listen. Songs have the tendency to frustrate you with their lack of direction or restraint. With so many people offering input, some songs threaten to topple over into self indulgence and you find yourself wish a leader had stepped forward to rein in those tendencies. That said, debut album 'Universal Indians' still has a lot to offer.

Opening track 'Freedom Ritual' lays out the band's mission. A rollicking southern blues rock track that's as indebted to gospel as to The Stooges. Vocals are delivered with the wildness of a crazed preacher man recruiting rock and roll disciples. A howling sermon of sorts that fights to be heard over wall of droning guitars, as horns swell and flare with seemingly wild abandon. It's an intense opener that's as rousing as it ramshackle. Calling to mind a psychedelic Rocket From The Crypt mixing with the dark gospel blues of 'Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space' era Spiritualized, the vibe continues with the sprawling 'Well Fuck You Then'. Horns adding a marching band slant on to a grinding call and response dirty R&B riff. 'Dead Man' takes the mood and the pace down a notch, adding a dash of country twang to a mix that three tracks in is beginning to make the head swirl a tad.

'Angel Of Meth' takes the drum beat from 'Be My Baby' for a ride through the swamps before 'One More Trip' grab you by the hand as it's partner for a storming barn dance of a track. And from then on the relentless pace rarely falters as song after song notches up another, thunderous, frenzied take on the classic rock of the American South.

Yet despite the intensity and full throttled attack of the record, there is a deeply hippy, laid back vibe. It's in the looseness with which the band. In the way that they let the songs go where they please. To float off or descend into near improvised jazz noise only to come back together as one at the same time. If only they'd managed to tether the excesses of their tendencies, then 'Universal Indians' could have been an exceptional record instead of just a hugely enjoyable record.

Dark Meat – freedom ritual from the album 'Universal Indians' out now on Vice Records.

Dark Meat – no one was there (live at SXSW)

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