MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER

"IV" is one of the few examples in recent memory where a move toward accessibility and crossover appeal — purposefully or otherwise — worked smashingly well. Keeping all the southern hard rock strut and sleazy swagger of previous releases, on "IV" MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER have turned in a bona fide ready-for-radio rock album with a slew of potential singles.

Rather than coming off as blandly commercial, watered down rock, the majority of songs on "IV" show a band that keeps on struttin' and boogies on down the road with hot riffs and swampy slide guitar to go along with incredibly infectious choruses. At times "IV" sounds like the most accessible part of the FOO FIGHTERS colliding with the biggest guitar of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, yet with plenty of identity to make the album recognizable as only MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER. Opener "In Dead We Dream" is most representative of the band's hot 'n' nasty blend of arena and stoner rock with a rising star vocalist in Dallas Taylor who effortlessly switches from gritty to glistening and occasionally sounds like vintage OZZY OSBOURNE. In fact, his vocal during the bridge on the comparatively light 'n' breezy "Taking on Water" is so Ozzy-like that I had to double-check the booklet to make sure it wasn't a guest appearance by the Prince of Darkness himself.

In any case, the conventional songwriting skill displayed on "IV" is at times quite extraordinary. That skill is best evidenced by the pure radio-rock resplendence of "Save Me" and the absolute album high point in this regard, "Faith Healer (Bring me Down)", which features an enormous hook and a heartfelt delivery. The only place where putting the pop in the rock falls short is on the acceptably average "Come for You". Far from utilizing a one-size-fits-all format, the act offers a satisfying amount of diversity across the album; including the sleepy "Cat's Walk" and a chilling piece entitled "Drought of '85" to go with all that butt-kickin' swamp rock and those razor sharp hooks. If there is any justice in the world, "IV" should bring MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER a level of rock stardom at least approaching that of their big-name contemporaries. Bully for the worn LP-looking cover art too.