LOCAL CD REVIEW: The Big Bang - Shoot the Freak

The Big Bang are well known in Birmingham and have built up a strong live following on the gig curcuit. Many of these songs have been around for several years on demos and downloads but this is their first official album release.

Taking in their live favourites and throwing in a few less familiar tracks they manage to speed through 10 songs in only 34 minutes - no self indulgent guitar solos here.

For the unintitated, The Big Bang are the kind of rock n roll band that most parents would disapprove of. Loud dirty guitars, screaming and swearing are all par for the course. Think the menacing base lines of QOTSA or the sinister vocal style of Guy McKnight (80s Matchbox b-line disaster) - this band fit in the same dark and deviant category.

Highlights are the songs from their live sets: "Sugar Daddy", "Love Bug" and "If I'm a Liar" are reminiscent of many a drunken night out. But the fact this CD has been years in the making has obviously been time well spent as I couldn't pick out a dodgy filler track amongst them.

"Shoot the Freak" is loud, seedy, rock n roll fun and is the perfect soundtrack to a drunken night out or a sleezy night in. Hopefully it won't take them so long to make album number two - I'm looking forward to it already.

Sample some tracks and buy from: www.myspace.com/thebigbangrocks