Perusing Desert Psychlist's unending wave of emails can be in turns informative, infuriating and gladdening and it was the last of those emotions we felt when we scrolled down to find that Russian groovsters Scumback had gifted us a download of their latest album "Perfect Blue" via Bandcamp. Some may remember us waxing lyrical on these pages over the bands second album "Sons of a Witch", a collection of short sharp and caustic tunes that took their cues from the likes of Eyehategod, Buzzov-en, and Crowbar as much as they did from southern rock royalty like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet. Those who have already bought into Scumback's blend of of hardcore, groove and southern rock /metal will be cock-a-hoop to discover that while "Perfect Blue" sees Scumback progressing musically as a band it also does not stray too far from the bands original blueprint while those new to the band will discover an outfit with the ability to both swing and brutalize in equal measure.
Oh maaan how do you go about describing an opening number as impactful as "Murdertown", this is a tune that leaves you feeling like you have been run over by a truck, a partly groove, partly thrash, partly industrial, partly nu-metal riff fest decorated with vocals that are constantly shifting between stoner rock like throatiness and sludgy metallic harshness., if this tune does not compel you to take a deep dive into the rest of the album then nothing will. If you have somehow managed to get up off the floor and dust yourself down then ready yourself to be knocked right back down again by "The Absolute", this song wraps scattergun riffage and blackened rhythms beneath vocals that alternate between full on snarliness and melodic gruffness around which ear-catching motifs and searing solos are constantly swooping and swirling. There are in total 14 tracks to be found on "Perfect Blue" so please do not expect us to go in depth on each, instead we will from here on in highlight a few that we think demand attention. The first of those is the chugging stoner(ish) "Fade Away" a song that stands out thanks to its slightly more southern rock flavoured vocal inflections and its attention grabbing little hooks and catches. The next worthy of mention is the southern flavoured lament "By The River" its acoustic guitars and down-home vocal tones giving it an almost "campfire" feel. Another we think should be further investigated is the excellent "Tears of God" which, to our ears, channels a little Mississippi Bones/Clutch type swagger in its sonic attack. The truth though is that no matter where you place the needle on "Perfect Blue", be it the full on hardcore of "25 Hours" or the lilting and Skynyrd like ballad "Wasted Paradise", you are going to strike gold!
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