The Lords of Altamont
To Hell With the Lords of Altamont

LA RECENSIONE

Do you like garage punk, stoner, retro-rock… basically pure and simple rock 'n' roll that will make you sway, nod your head, and why not dance to the rhythm of the music?

The Lords Of Altamont are a quintet obsessed with beautiful motorcycles, fuzz guitars, and Hammond organs. All 12 tracks that make up this “To Hell With The Lords” from 2003 manage to convey the right emotions. The album was re-released in 2022 by Heavy Psych Sound Records, which has become home to other stoner rock and similar bands. They had the foresight to remaster everything, and I must say the operation was fully successful.

“To Hell With The Lords” seems like it emerged from the golden years of the Seventies and gives us long-dormant emotions with tracks like “The 7th Day,” an anthemic piece with the urgency and expressiveness of pure rock 'n' roll. “Too Old To Die” starts with a Hammond organ and then ignites into frenetic guitar work, driven by the singer's voice—hoarse and gritty, with a sweaty feel that makes us sweat too with the rhythm of their music.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the original lineup was founded in Los Angeles by members of The Bomboras, MC5, Fuzztones, and The Cramps… what better calling card then?

This album is the first of six released and is truly a blast. Another of the most captivating tracks of the batch is titled “Come On!” and the fuzz guitars travel wonderfully with that organ, which is an integral part of the band's sound (you'll also hear a harmonica). Truly a track to dance and listen to again, just like “Twisted Love” in its 2 minutes of duration gives us the urge to drink beer and bounce from one side of the room to the other to the rhythm of a nice full-bodied sound—a soundtrack for stoned and drunk bikers, ideal for movies like “Easy Rider.”

“Knock Knock,” the longest track on the album (it lasts four minutes), is a garage rock ballad with remarkable western edges. Also, “Stripped Down” with its out-of-control organ is phenomenal, and “Born To Lose,” the track that closes these fiery 32 minutes, takes us on a journey like all the other tracks and leaves space for really beautiful garage guitar phrases to hear and blast on the stereo at full volume.

At least one listen is a must for lovers of free music and for nostalgics of good old dirty rock 'n' roll.

Great album.