People ask me how we manage to discover so many obscure bands all the time. Thinking about it, it's pretty straight-forward once you operate below the well packaged mainstream. You make friends off and online, discuss music with them, share and take recommendations from them. Then you check out related bands, side-projects and so on, if you are really into a band you've found. Internet forums, communities, social networks, blogs, p2p are some of the modern tools especially useful for an underground musician to spread the word. But there are some means that has never changed. Right at the top of that list are the elaborate thank lists on album sleeves (Can't forget Lee Dorian's list on Cathedral's Forest of Equilibrium, of course). Another tried and tested method is to blindly try out releases from a label that you've come to trust. Small Stone is one of those labels.

All I know about Roadsaw is that See You in Hell is some sort of a comeback album (after a six year hiatus). I can't tell you how these guys sounded back then, but this album has had me singing along as passionately as a 13 year old girl at a Morrissey concert.

Roadsaw, like their comrades Ironweed are big on the typical heavy fuzz metal with that southern slant, but unlike Ironweed who seem to bring in some 90s influences, these guys dig out some of the mighty 70s for inspiration. Take Go it Alone for example. The first riff nearly quotes a Rainbow riff and goes on to be this driving, motivational arena anthem with big catchy vocals. There are a couple of riffs from the Led Zep template too, not to mention the big drum sound and the Groovy To The Max® chemistry between the guitars and drums, but Roadsaw manage to rise above all that, thanks to the power of the big fat groove, rocking riffs, songs with dynamics and those seemingly endless hooks coming from the vocalist. Also on display throughout the album are some tasty melodic and rocking guitar playing, those 70s style effects and the resultant ballsy tone, all very essential ingredients to this band's sound and attitude.

Something like It's Your Move might begin all down-tempo sludgy, but the chorus modelled after the classics is fucking undeniably kick ass. The album closer Receive too, sort of a ballad ( and not in the Still Loving You sense) has a great central riff they keep coming back to, supported by those beautiful organs, and has a chorus to kill for. Watch out for some more exceptional songs including the title track, Looking Pretty Lonely, Who Do You Think You Are and Dead Horse. Not a clunker on See You in Hell; highly recommended for all fuzz metal fans. Another winner from Small Stone.

Year of Release: 2008

Label: Small Stone Records