PUFFBALL
The Super Commando

THE REVIEW

A bolt from the blue! An atomic blast I still haven't forgotten. I discovered the band completely by chance back in 2001 on the recommendation of a friend who at the time worked in a record store in the Novara area; Swedes closely related to Hellacopters and Gluecifer. With an added raw and street punk attitude and a frenzied execution speed that overflows.

The band's logo reminiscent of a well-known Italian tire brand: at this point, it's easy to associate the insane speed with their musical offering. No "melodic" concessions, no slowing down in the fourteen tracks that make up the work; for a total duration of half an hour and a little more.

The start is entrusted to the uncontrolled vehemence of "Loaded": like hypervitaminized Hellacopters colliding, amidst a thousand sparks, with Motorhead. And it is Mikael's voice, so similar to the late Lemmy, that supports the furious blows of guitars and bass. Meanwhile, a completely ignorant drum seems to know only one tempo: but it's just fine this way.

The barely two minutes of "Back On The Sauce" definitively clarify things: punk'n'roll played at breakneck speed, furious and almost unbearable due to its violence and filth: lethal. They succeed in further increasing the speed, hard to believe but it's true, when reaching the part of the track I prefer; I'm referring to "Hellbent": simply an overwhelming barrage. A song that I imagine would really hurt live, thanks to a hearing-shattering finale where the guitars weave sharp and acidic noise patterns.

In the end, there's also room for a cover; Puffball remake "Carmelita" by Warren Zevon in their own way. Devastating it properly!!

I conclude with a quote that can be read inside the booklet and perfectly captures the sonic magma of the Swedes: "If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" (quote. Mario Andretti).

Sacred words Mario, sacred words...FAST AND FURIOUS...