Straight out of Belgium, The Sonic Redemption is a power trio that aims to make rock 'n' roll dangerous again. Their newest song, "Pissing Contest," is a gloriously unhinged blast of fury that takes you by the collar and makes you pay attention. It's not a song. It's a bar brawl in audio form, led by the unstoppable snarl of Dominique De Vos, who doesn't appear to have ever received the memo about subtlety.
Dominique, best known for his work with Southern Voodoo, paces up front with vocals that snarl and spit over lyrics soaked in frustration, satire, and a healthy dose of beer-soaked reality. On the guitar, though, and probably co-conspirator in denim destruction, Jelle De Vos shreds with abandon amidst the chaos. At the same time, Bram Decrock, drummer, is the thunderstorm behind it all fierce, never apologizing and probably not wearing ear protection.
"Pissing Contest" isn't trying to be pretty. It's loud, messy, and cuts through the mediocrity of slick rock radio like a brick through a windshield. The song throbs with that rare authenticity. It sounds like a band with nothing to prove and everything to say. It's a sneering middle finger to the performative machismo and hollow bombast of today's ego battles among executives, on bar stools, and in-band scenes.
The trio musically serves a strong drink mixing breakneck punk and dirty hard rock. Imagine The Ramones on amphetamines and stramonium or Amyl & The Sniffers in a demolition derby with Lemmy's soul all over the front seat. There's no filler here, just sweat, distortion, and a wink behind every wall of sound.