Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Specter at the Feast

THE REVIEW

Hello everyone, this is my first review, so try not to be too harsh in the comments!

In 2013, the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released "Specter at the Feast," their latest studio effort to date.

Excluding "The Effects of 333," a controversial album that many don't even consider part of the BRMC discography, this has probably been the most criticized album produced by the Californian band. Criticisms, in my opinion, unfounded, especially those suggesting that the group has become too pop-oriented. There's not much to do; fans are often insatiable: if you make an album in line with your usual sound, they say you're repetitive, if you experiment with something different, they say you've commercialized or that your album sucks. The BRMC chose the second path, the most difficult and, in my opinion, the right one.

The beginning is one of the best: "Fire Walker," shrouded in its aura of mystery, is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs the trio has ever composed. Then we have "Let the Day Begin," a cover of The Call by Michael Been, father of Robert Levon, guitarist of the Black Rebels, who died while working as a sound technician for the band during a tour. The song is beautiful, impactful, and extremely successful. "Returning" and the Beatles-esque "Lullaby" are also good songs. We return to rock with "Hate the Taste," a bit flashy, a typical live song, and with the wah-wah of "Rival." Among the best tracks on the album is "Teenage Disease," complete with a solo in the middle, a rarity from the Black Rebels. We return to the mysterious atmospheres of the opener with "Some Kind Of Ghost." On the other hand, "Sometimes the Light" is really pointless, with an orchestra that immediately feels like sweet pop. "Funny Games" and the long concluding "Lose Yourself" (interspersed by Sell It, which seems a bit like a filler) conclude this album, which, despite the criticisms it has received, does justice to the BRMC brand, albeit with some novelties that never hurt.