Sunday, January 11, 2009

Review: Suinage "Shaking Hands"


Suinage is Italy's answer to Buffalo Tom. Featuring Pilli Colombo on guitar and vocals, Ariel Dotti on bass, and Flavio Torzillo on drums, Suinage's 2008 effort "Shaking Hands" is ready to shake up the rock world.

"Shaking Hands" is an impressive release, bursting with high intensity garage rock sound. Suinage probably puts on one hell of a live show and "Shaking Hands" sounds like it captures that energy perfectly. Although the sound is raw and feverish, and Pilli's vocals are coarse and rough at times, the song structures are generally rooted in traditional power pop. Take the lead off track, "Toothbrush" for example. The guitars comes out punchy and strong, with Pilli straining and spitting into the mic as if his life depends on it...but I find myself jamming to these riffs and melodies in no time. The trio has a great chemistry, with the music matching the vocals well.

Another interesting thing the band does on several songs is stop...and then come back. It keeps everything engaging and some of the tempo changes are refreshing. Standout tracks include "Toothbrush", "All Eyes On Me", and "Chump". But the track I find myself going back to the most is one of the rare moments they slow things down a bit; "July" showcases a clever melody line throughout, accented with riffs that build up to a strong climatic finish.

For my readers who enjoy a more polished and slick sound, Suinage is probably not for you. But this band is a must listen to anyone who has enjoyed classic Replacements, Buffalo Tom, or Will Hoge. Suinage is honest, pure rock n roll - play this one LOUD!

iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8

Suinage on MySpace. Buy CD here.

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