They do exactly as their title suggests.

Originally conceived in 1998 as an AC/DC covers band, Norwegians Humbucker unashamedly wear their influences loud and proud. After four years of gigging in Norway and failing to establish themselves as a serious concern they called it a day, only to resurrect the band two years ago to play a one-off gig. The rehearsals for this excited them enough to decide to give it another go and off the back of that gig they were offered three more proving that you’re never too old to Rock ‘n’ Roll. There was enough interest generated from fans for them to decide to record an album but their concern was that it should be the best that they could possibly do and although it’s been out for some considerable time now it’s only just come to my attention.

Produced at the world famous Urban Sound Studios in Oslo by Thomas Wang he’s captured their proto AC/DC sound in a crisp and sonically fresh sounding manner with the mixing and mastering done by the legendary Beau Hill. (That would have cost them a pretty penny!) Beau has provided clear breathing space between the instruments and vocals to give it that snappy, infectious groove-laden aural sensation that comes from using the best.

New vocalist Jan Anders Boen has that Michael Monroe inspired energy to his voice but I also hear Krokus’ Marc Storace and ‘Dizzy’ Dean Davidson of Britny Fox, yet Boen is capable of switching from that raspy growl to a clean vibrato especially on ‘There Will Never Be Another’, a lilting acoustic ballad intro that morphs into an arpeggio driven rocker. Twin guitarists John Petter Pershaug and Vidar Svanheld, (who also handles the acoustic and slide) are happy doing their versions of Angus and Malcolm Young riffs on the songs. With bass and drums handled respectively by Lars Stian Havraas and Geir Arne Dale these Norwegians give us some infectious driving riff and roll party tunes to put a smile on the face of anyone with a penchant for AC/DC’s brand of Hard Rock.

‘The Way I Am’ opens the album in a steady AC/DC style vein where-as I detected a hint of a Scorpions vibe before a blistering solo led us to a frantic finish as Boen’s Michael Monroe inspired vocal phrasing kept the interest going. ‘Black Nickel’ , derivative of AC/DC, Krokus and Britny Fox has a driving guitar riff with a familiar refrain whilst ‘Priscilla’ has a dirty groove and beat to go with its suggestive lyrics. The American jangly country guitar intro with female warbling made for an interesting diversion on this track but there was nothing unusual about the Motorhead inspired opening to ’Paradise’ with its Michael Monroe ‘Dead Jail Or Rock ‘n’ Roll’ sound zipping along at a frantic pace. Elsewhere ‘Dipstick Joe’ could be DC’s ‘Girls Got Rhythm’ but if there is one song that captures the Humbucker ethos it’s ‘Doing My Job (In A Rock And Roll Band)’.

They do exactly as their title suggests!

Carl Buxton