 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Reviews of 'North of Hell' CD
|
REVIEW FROM Razorcake #35 A bizarro gospel two piece consisting of Brother Ant and Brother Ed, who share guitar, vocal, drum and other assorted instrumental duties. The vocals are sung through a megaphone and there’s a palpable redneck vibe. I’ll bet if you saw these guys walking down the street, they’d both be chewin’ on a piece of straw. USGR is at their best when tackling country tinged spirituals like “Johnny, Jesus & Me,” “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Lord Took my Hand.” They come off like a couple of aww-shucks charmers. Not so appealing are the psychobilly stylings of “Gates of Hell.” If the picture in the liner notes is any indication of their live show, they must be a hoot to witness. A true and pleasant surprise. –Josh Benke
I dunno where Rock N Roll Purgatory comes up with these bands, but between Swing Ding Amigos, Bob's Country Bunker and now Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival... You couldn't possible write the history of trash, garage, country or punk rock without these bands. Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival is a trash rock duo, that preaches the gospel of country blues rock n roll through rejecting the devil and his evil ways. Not for a second do I believe the history of the fellas in the band, supposedly they were/are students of religion, whom felt they could make a difference to rock n roll and all the while grab a few converts too. Yeah right! What I do believe is that the duo plays some smashing blues rock with a tinge of country for good measure, with some infection beats and lyrics that will get your ass moving in no time! This is upbeat rock n roll, that quite frankly, I wish was in the church I attended as a child. I might still believe in the lord had a band like Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival been heading up the congregation. The duo, Brother Art and Brother Ed, not sure if they are maternally related, but the 'brother' but only adds to the religious allure. Not where I was going with that thought.... The two look like they could be related, even though Brother Ed looks a lot like comedian David Cross. What I have been trying to say, is that the band plays on some rather rudimentary pieces of equipment. Aside from the occasional harmonica and piano, you'll find that Brother Ed plays one mean "beat down guitar", Brother Art makes a shopping cart sound like one of the most expensive cymbals ever made, and between the two providing the vocals through a megaphone...you get a true sound of the band. Trash rock at it's finest. I really adore this album, every track is entertaining and to tapping. From the searing opener "Sin City", to the hilarious "I Can't Bang You On A Sunday", and the very traditional sounding "Lord Took My Hand"; the band is just down right great with their rudimentary sound! I love it! The disc features eleven studio tracks, a bonus live track (the band often played the lobby of a Cleveland theatre) and an alternate version of "Lord Took My Hand"...thirteen trashy, beer swillin', God-fearing tracks that will keep a smile on your face, a beer in your hand and a new found appreciation for grocery carts in music. -MG
Down in the trenches of rock 'n' roll is where the country-blues-punk act Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival does its preaching with its sophomore album "North of Hell," a blistering batch of fire and brimstone tempered with over-the-top evangelizing delivered rockabilly style. Whether band members Brother Ed (drums and vocals) and Brother Ant (guitar and vocals) are truly on a mission to convert isn't quite clear, but the Lakewood twosome rocks in fine fashion with such ditties as "Gates of Hell" and "Sin City," spreading the word one fuzzed-out guitar lick and dirty vocal sermon at a time. Watch out devil, Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival is camped out on your doorstep either saving souls or entertaining lost ones. Grade: A- John Benson
A welcome successor to the two-man band void left by the demise of the Flat Duo Jets and following in the footsteps of Unknown Hinson, Uncle Scratch’s Gospel Revival is as good as you’ve heard they are. Distorted, noisy, and lighthearted stand-out titles indicative of the duo’s toe-tapping and relaxed attitude and musicianship include “Johnny, Jesus & Me,” “Devil’s Chrysler,” and “I Can’t Bang You on a Sunday.” Enjoyably satisfying. - Jessica
Recorded in just 6 hours, these Ohio ‘Geeks For God’ (Brother Ed & Brother Ant) are devoted disciples of lowdown primitive lo-fi trash. Like Knights Of The New Crusade the duo rants against the evils of the horned one (“The Devil Is A Pussy”, “Gimmie Back My Bible”, “Gates Of Hell”) and preach the 10 commandments (“I Can’t Bang You On A Sunday”). They once had a bassplayer, Sister Amber, but she was kicked out because ‘her breasts were too distracting on stage’. Salvation never sounded this good, Hallelujah! - Jens
Lost in the hoopla surrounding the incendiary live shows and side-splitting preacher shtick of Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival is the music. The duo's stupendous sophomore effort, North of Hell, is just as hilarious as its 2003 debut, Kickin' the Devil in the Balls, but musically superior. Brother Ant and Brother Ed reaffirm their tongue-in-cheek mission statement to destroy Satan, even if it means resorting to coarse language. Armed with just a guitar and a homemade drum kit, Uncle Scratch plays lacerating basement blues with punk-like ferocity on barnburners like "Run Devil Run" and "Gates of Hell." The results are equally impressive when the Johnny Cash-loving duo branches out into related genres. Whether using a southern-rock ballad to address the personal sacrifices necessary to keep it holy ("I Can't Bang You on a Sunday") or celebrating the holy Trinity through hillbilly gospel ("Johnny, Jesus, and Me"), the rugged disciples deliver. It won't be long before Uncle Scratch finishes off Beelzebub and locks more celebrated bassless blues combos in its groin-kicking cross hairs. - Matt Gorey
Brother Ed and Brother Ant are back to save some more souls on their long awaited second album, ‘North of Hell’. As on their debut disc the sound is pretty lo-fi, but the guitars sound thicker and the drums hit with more force. The guys even spring for some actual “production value” in the form of guest musicians playing piano and harmonica on a few tracks. A lot of these songs have been in the band’s live set for some time now, and they’ve clearly been honed to perfection in these studio versions. Favorites here are “Johnny, Jesus and Me”, “Gates of Hell”, “Devil’s Chrysler” and “I Can’t Bang You on a Sunday”. To be fair, a couple numbers sounded less than divinely inspired to my ears, notably “Angel Above, Devil Below” and “Run Devil, Run”. But while there’s no doubt that the best way to experience Uncle Scratch is live, ‘North of Hell’ makes a fine substitute for when you can’t make it to a gig. - Bob Ignizio
Every rock critic can use a little confounding once in a while. Here I sit, mystified to the point of enlightenment. What can I say about Uncle Scratch’s Gospel Revival that would be more of a revelation than what they actually do themselves? I’m not much of a church-goer, but Brothers Ed and Ant have lured me to the pulpit with their megaphone and I’m not sure what to do. Just who do you call when the exorcists look and sound like these guys? Scratch’s songbook is a knock-down, drag-out garage confessional that calls out Mephistopheles like a kid on a playground and encourages listeners to give 'em a good, swift “kick in the junk.” Scratch’s sound is minimalism at its best. Scratch's shows are part of the ongoing tales in Cleveland rock mythology: a truckstop communion of sorts short one bass player (Sister Amber) who, according to lore, was kicked out because “her breasts were too distracting” on stage. These lo-fi preachers of indie-garage rock spike their moonshining sound with punk, blues n’ rockabilly and envelop the songs with a dose old-school country sensibility and good ol’ boy humor. If Hank the Third and Reverend Horton Heat had bastard twins, this is what they’d sound like after a stint at the Corpus Christi orphanage. How else can you explain the gravity of tracks like “Sin City,” “Gates of Hell,” “Gimme Back My Bible” and (gulp!) “I Can’t Bang You on a Sunday.” Exactly. There’s really nothing else that I can tell you. I’m floored. Seriously. Hot damn. All you rock and roll blasphemers have but one shot at redemption. Nothing less than experiencing this for yourself will do. Because after these crazy preacher men save Cleveland's collective soul, we're all headed south to do battle with that Big Red Guy With a Tail and Pitchfork. (No, not Blackwell… but if the shoe fits….) And you just won't be ready without North of Hell showing you the way. Can I get a hallelujah? Amen, brothers and sisters.
Two man ragged-ass gospelbilly from the sunbaked bowels of Parma, Ohio. The one fella seems to play half a drumset and a pile of old barrels, the other guy fitfully bashes out dirty junk-rock riffs and hollers a lot. There’s some live shit on here that just sounds like a couple mean drunks ruining somebody’s party, but the…ahem… “studio” stuff is pretty fun retro-trash. The songs are mostly about the devil, and about Jesus, and about where y’all may fit into the grand plans of both of those scoundrels, and some of ‘em are just damned sensible, like “I Can’t Bang You on Sunday” (“I guess we gotta do it on Monday) and “Gates of Hell” (Things ain’t going so well down here”). The record-y snap crackle and pop between songs is a nice addition to the whole no-fi, recorded on an Edison’s tube ruse, too. “North of Hell” will probably not save your soul, but it will get you dancin’ in the flames, and that’s about the best you can hope for at this point
Praise Jesus, Uncle Scratch’s Gospel Revival’s got the devil on the run. Hailing form Lakewood, Ohio, these boys ain’t playing no slick commercialized Christian rock. This is gritty raw music brought about through divine inspiration. Brother Ed (drums, vocals) and Brother Ant (guitar, vocals) are here to lead all you sinners down the path to righteousness, and who better than a couple of guys who apparently have done more than their own share of sinning? They relate the tales of their wicked ways on songs like “I Banged a Sinner” and “Back Door Man (No More)” so that you can avoid making the same mistakes they have, and they shout their lyrics through a megaphone to make sure you hear every word. Now I’m not saying every single number on here is good enough to earn a place in your hymnal, but overall ‘Kickin the Devil in the Balls’ is a pretty decent slab of garage rock. There’s only 7 songs listed but be sure to stick around for the hidden track, a stirring cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. (Bob Ignizio)
Cleveland’s own born again bastards blurt out the brimstone blues and banter better than Buchanan brandishing a beer bong and a bible. They bring the big beat down like bricks on a baby, and blow through boredom like bullets bursting from a higher being. The band bangs through lo-fi hymns bent on becoming blessed bottle-throwing anthems bashed out by two men brilliant in their buffoonery. A brain washed is a brain bettered; blemished blood bleeds unfettered. Beezelbub’s bliss is boiling Baptists. “I Banged a Sinner” is beautiful, but the blasphemy that blots out brightness gave birth to “The Ballad of Adam and Eve.” Be done with baneful balderdash and dash back to the bible briskly. - BL
Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival has been touring Cleveland for four years now and I am bummed it took me this long to see them. They were great. From the cardboard-barrel drum set to the megaphone/CB vocals, to the portrait of Jesus with a microphone on his lips, these guys have a great thing going. With songs like "I Banged A Sinner," "Gimme Back My Bible," and "Johnny, Jesus, Duct Tape, and Me," this duo dishes out punk-rockabilly gold. Brother Ed and Brother Ant preach the gospel to the crowd while rocking so much harder than one would imagine - humorously juxtaposing religious phrases with snide remarks like "the devil is a cunt, motherfucker." I laughed heartily with them, not at, and that is why they are awesome. Brother Ed was unrelentless in attacking the "drum" set throughout the performance, attempting to disrupt Brother Ant as much as possible. They did fun things like pausing a song so a "Fan" could snap a photo and disintegrating a song as the drums fell apart. They also busted out one of the most original drum solos I've ever heard. It was hard believe "a Christian rocker could rock so fuckin hard." I definitely want to see these revivalists again. They said it themselves, "man we are sounding Sweet!" - jsin vs. jeighsohn
Every Uncle Scratch show is a rough-and-tumble rockabilly revival. The true believers in the band will do whatever it takes to save your ever-rockin' soul, even if they have to screw you silly to do it. (Give "I Banged a Sinner" a spin, if you think we're making this up.) The band's concerts aren't like most rock shows. For starters, it avoids the usual conventions - like performing on a stage. "Stages are for pussy bands," drummer Brother Ed told Scene. If they play a club like Peabody's, the members of Uncle Scratch are more likely to set up their gear in the hallway outside the men's room. And by "gear," we don't mean traditional instruments. Ed uses an iron milk crate for a cymbal, and he's proven that cardboard boxes make a perfectly adequate bass drum. Brother Ant delivers his vox through a bullhorn, at a volume that could scare the devil out of Linda Blair. It all adds up to more than just a great live show - it's a religious experience.
|
