The Meteors \’Doing The Lord’s Work’ (People Like You Records)
CD/2LP/DL
Released 8th October 2012

Some 32 years in and The Meteors have not lost any of their brash uncompromising attitude, and this new release contains the elements that have always made up The Meteors brand of \’Pure Psychobilly’, the mash-up of rockabilly, country, surf and rock’n'roll, generous helpings of schlock lyrics all of which has earned them rabid support across the globe., and in entire industry based around keeping their 40 album strong catalogue in print.

Check the track listing for \’Doing The Lords Work’ and on first glance you know what you are going to get; The Meteors are not about musical exploration ”“ front man Paul Fenech, as is well documented has repeatedly stated “if you don’t like us…Fuck off!!” so anybody buying a Meteors release knows what they are getting; but what’s this? Surely it can’t be? Nestled between the typical tittles \’The Man In The Cunt Skin Mask’ and The Shredder is \’Paranoid’.

Fast forward, hit play…it is! The Meteors are covering Black Sabbath’s defining anthem, and to be fair are making it their own, Fenech’s grizzled voice bringing a new threatening tone to the song, no-one should be surprised really; as long ago as 1987 they covered The Stranglers \’Go Buddy Go’ on their \’Bang Bang Fruit’ album.

The remainder of the album is typical Meteors fare, album opener \’My Psychobilly Syndrome’ could be a riff led soundtrack to an unmade 60′s B-Movie, chock full of snatched horror movie samples, hapless virgin starlets being offered to Satan, pleading for unrequited mercy. \’It’s A Long Way Down’ and \’My Life For Thee’ romp along supported by a well slapped bass hog which allows Fenech’s familiar vocal yelps to scythe through that twanging guitar. The aforementioned \’The Man In The Cunt Skin Mask’ despite the ominous title is one of the weaker tracks, it just seems the song is half finished, a fantastic Hank Marvin styled melody that is frankly wasted as lazy “fuck you” vocal samples are thrown into the instrumental mix…back to normal with \’Strange Times Are Coming’ as Fenech threatens that the “dead shall walk the earth” before getting behind the wheel of \’The Shredder’ and hightailing it off down the highway, his octane fuelled hot rod spewing out his dark vision, pursued by cops telling him he is to “burn in hell”

It would be unfair to suggest The Meteors work to a template; they just don’t see the need or have the desire to alter or expand their style, over 30+ years they have built a devout following who look to The Meteors as \’The Kings Of Psychobilly’ and any deviation from that would be considered blasphemous ”“ in essence The Meteors, their Kattle and Krew have formed into an un-holy alliance and for that reason alone they should be respected.

Track Listing:

1 My Psychobilly Syndrome (WWWC Bloody Pit Of Horror Mix)
2 It’s A Long Way Down
3 My Life For Thee
4 She Screams Out My Name
5 The Man In The Cunt Skin Mask
6 The Last Temptation (Was You)
7 Paranoid
8 Strange Times Are Coming
9 The Shredder
10 Girl Meat Fever
11 Drag You Down To Hell
12 Ain’t No Turning Back
13 Don’t Blame Me
14 The Day The Earth Dripp’d Blood
15 Hell Must Be Empty (All The Demons Are Here)
16 Fuck Your World