VELVET THUNDER

Shake The Temple is a new Australian hard rock three-piece comprising of John Joseph on vocals and guitar, Dave Emms on drums and Damian Cutler on bass with this being the band’s self-titled debut release.

It seems that the guys are all well rooted in the Australian rock scene with this album featuring new tracks and older, unreleased material that John Joseph wrote when he was with a couple of previous bands in The Wild Highs and TANK. Joseph is most definitely the band leader and guiding light and is what can only be described as a veteran as he seems to be one of those musicians who has seen and done just about everything including featuring in any number of bands as well as playing Paul Stanley in Disstroyer – The Australian KISS Show. The debate about the validity of tribute acts will go on and on but at least they take the music to those who are unlikely to ever see the real thing. It appears that he has also had stints with the real heavyweights of Australian rock in Rose Tattoo and The Angels so this is a man who can rock and demands to be heard!

Shake The Temple is an old school rock album somewhere between hard rock and acid rock and is a real throw back to those heady days of the 1970s and these guys would have been a sensation on the UK live rock circuit back then when it was so much more vibrant and venues were far more plentiful. The band is very much a power trio led by the fast and frantic riffing of Joseph which combines perfectly with Cutler’s punchy bass rhythms with Emms keeping everything tight with a tightly controlled fury. The songs are all clever and incisive and delivered superbly with swathes of guitar and a great deal of harmony too. Think, maybe, Alter Bridge and Rose Tattoo combining for a special album and I think you would get something a little like this. The guitar work is clever and intricate and each play brings out further nuances in John Joseph’s playing which is effective, controlled and what is exactly needed. The man has the talent so no need for an ego trip or playing fast just to show off as he plays exactly what is required and then on to the next song. He is accompanied by two excellent musicians and these three guys combined are more than capable of making this band something rather special.