Twister, Cursed and Corrected Album review by Chris High
Upcoming New Wave of Classic Rock band Twister announced the release of their debut album ‘Cursed & Corrected’ to be released on the Friday 13 November by Off Yer Rocka Recordings. Read our review here.
Durham. Hardly a town that conjures up images of Metal or Rock mayhem. Okay, blame for this might lay at the feet of 70s mum’s favourite Roger Whittaker, but really? Durham has a nice cathedral and is a pleasant stop off on the way to Newcastle, right?
Wrong. Durham is the base of Twister – Stevie Stoker (guitar and vocals) Jake Grimes (guitar and backing vocals) Ryan Lee (bass and background vocals) and Jack Corbett (drums and background vocals) – and their latest album, Cursed and Corrected, is quite openly and without fear of contradiction … MAGNIFICENT!
There is absolutely everything a Rock-head connoisseur of all things timeless could wish for here. The introductory salvo segues delightfully and effortlessly into Save Us Yourself. Anthemic, yes, but my word does it thump above its weight. Stoker’s vocals are light, yet tinged with a barb that cannot fail to hook from the moment he opens his mouth. Added to this are his and Jake Grimes’ manifestly magical guitar strokes, backed all the way to the hilt by some of the most glorious bass and drums you will ever hear.
Mixed and produced by Tony Draper, at the seemingly and sadly under threat Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, the vibrancy and vitality of the songs really shine. There is also a great deal of craft and guile on show through the lyrics. No ordinary foot stompers these. Instead we are given a blend of thoughtfulness and angst.
Take a listen to the devastatingly brilliant Monroe and tell me these guys don’t know what they’re about. As smooth as a melting glacier, here is a song to halt a stampede of buffalo dead in its tracks, then simply ask ‘what’s the rush’ as it does so.
Trees, too, is gloriously crafted. A real crowd pleaser of epic proportions, this is a tune guaranteed to beguile at gigs as much as it does in the music room, with huge thanks being given for that to the dexterity of its composition.
No disrespect but Status Quo these guys most definitively are not! No two bars sound the same. No two songs a carbon copy of its predecessor. Wild & Lonely (Fingers Crossed) has a hymn-like vibe going on, and if comparisons are truly required, then think early The Alarm with bells and whistles and you’re very nearly there. But not quite.
Cursed & Corrected is an absolute total undiluted joy-fest of an album. A ride that takes in the summits and corresponding views that surround this genre and says so much more than ‘Hey Durham and beyond! We Are Twister and, My God, we’re here to stay!’
Tracks:
1. We Are the Cursed & Corrected – 1:29
2. Save Us Yourself – 3:49
3. Young & Affected – 4:00
4. Natural Survivor – 4:26
5. Trees – 5:09
6. Wild & Lonely (Fingers Crossed) – 3:36
7. Trading Hearts – 3:58
8. Call To Arms – 3:44
9. Mystery – 4:04
10. Feeding Frenzy – 3:28
11. Monroe – 3:51
12. Fist Fight by The Waterside – 5:09
13. 64 White Lies – 4:27
