The Highdrators - Let's Get Drunk & High (Vapor Trails)


The Highdrators formed in lockdown, consisting of past and present members of notable riff-heavy bands in the UK underground, ultimately coming together to sound nothing like the bands that they've congregated from. That's what enjoying yourself and making music's about though, right? You would surely get bored making the same sounds day in, day out. You can hear the fun coming out of your speakers that these musicians are having in their new project. Sometimes, amongst heavy musicians, we forget what having a good time's all about. 'Let's Get Drunk & High' is the second song from The Highdrators, and is a real raucous, rebellious, rowdy, rock 'n roll rager.

With an irresistible punk swagger and rock n' roll piano tinkling in the background, it's hard not to smile and bop along as you listen to the unpretentious 'Let's Get Drunk & High'. You wouldn't have thought that the track features Siân Greenaway from Alunah as a guest vocalist, who is better-known for beautiful, ethereal melodies in her main band, a far cry from the gritty snarls here. During the solo, the lead guitar lines at times phrase themselves almost in a way that Brian May might do, were he playing three chords in a grimy pub. If the song didn't sound unashamedly old-school already, this element truly makes the song sound like it's straight out of 1977. And the vocal melodies just stay rent-free in your head for days. Are you singing along to the chorus by the end, or were you just not listening at all? I don't need to spell out what the lyrics are about.


Who could have predicted that members of Vodun, Limb, Uncle Acid and Alunah would come together and produce such a brilliant, carefree, punk banger?

Are we getting drunk and high or what, then?

MN

The Highdrators: Bandcamp

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

INTERVIEW: Dissecting the Cvltfest Resurrected lineup with Lizard King Promotions

Image
Lizard King Promotions ' head honcho Mike Linehan stopped by for a chat about Cvltfest Resurrected last week, discussing in detail almost all the bands on the bill later this month - with the exception of Battalions , who were announced yesterday as the last-minute replacement for Made of Teeth on the lineup. Cvltfest will take place on the 23rd and 24th of February at Rebellion, Manchester, hosted by Lizard King Promotions and Riffolution Promotions . All the bands loosely can be connected to their musical forefathers in Black Sabbath - but other than that, it's a massively varied lineup that really offers something for everyone. Listen to our interview for a very exclusive peek into what the day may entail, such as unreleased songs, collaborations and guest spots. I won't spoil the surprise... It's a stellar lineup and I'll see everyone there. Appearing at Cvltfest Resurrected will be Dvne , Pijn , Mastiff , Hundred Year Old Man , Conan , Boss Keloid...
Read more

REVIEW: Groove metallers Empire Warning unleash 'Destiny'

Image
Groove metal quintet Empire Warning have been major players in the London heavy scene since the early 2010s, winning the city's Metal 2 The Masses finals in 2019 to earn a coveted spot on Bloodstock Festival's New Blood Stage shortly before the pandemic. The Unite & Die EP followed in early 2020, which was played in full over their Bloodstock set, though there's even a couple from their latest EP, Destiny , that were played back during their iconic performance. Destiny dropped at the end of last month, offering a blistering 25 minutes of aural assault, with shades of Machine Head, Lamb of God, Slipknot and other aggressive influences to stake their claim for bigger stages and wider recognition. Empire Warning - Bloodstock 2019 (full set) First up is the crushing Be My Victim , with a descending guitar line that introduces the EP, wasting no time in setting the tone in front of a fist-pumping groove and a verse riff that snaps your neck in time to its beat. Lyrically, ...
Read more

REVIEW: Dust - A Sonic Trip With Slump

Image
Slump are a band very much in the ascendency right now (hopefully the cheque they gave me to write that will clear by the time this publishes) - with an ever increasing live presence across the UK and a burgeoning brand of distinctive Sludge Metal-tinged, Grunge-infused psychedelic rock, there has never been a better time to get fully behind a band who are working hard to make their way out of the murky backwaters of the UK Underground Doom scene. 2024 has seen the band going from strength to strength, playing sweaty, breathless shows in literally every single city across the entire country, to releasing the gnarly SP/LIT EP with the frighteningly heavy At War With the Sun. Given the band's somewhat frustrating past habit of having long gaps between releases, you'd have been forgiven for assuming that would be it from Noble, Kabu and co. for the year... fortunately, on this occasion, the band have proved us extremely wrong! Dust marks yet another step forward for Slump. Hav...
Read more