Resounding

One of the guitarists and driving forces behind Virginia's hellbilly metal bulldozer Alabama Thunderpussy, Erik Larson built up such a backlog of songs he had to spill some over onto a solo record. The Resounding is a nicely diverse collection of tunes that shows off the depth and breadth of its auteur's talent, while still retaining the hard rock base of ATP (not to mention the signature sound of Virgil, Larson's Flying V). The guitarist's songs move into more personal arenas than the general slam-bang aggression of the parent band, and he works the dynamics with a maestro's touch, so the loud/soft transitions and his shifts from a rough-hewn croon to a whisky-triggered growl sound completely natural. It helps that he handles drums as well as guitars, allowing for easy manipulation of tempo and volume. From the acoustic folk of Happy New War to the raging fury of I Feel Like Ted Nugent, Larson covers the gamut of the rawk experience. He's at his best during Mine Never Was, Hardest Things to Write About and I Always End Up Being the Bad Guy, which combine his sensitive and brutal sides in ways not usually heard in the metal arena. Is the world ready for singer/songwriter metal? It better be, since Larson is damned good at it. Hopefully this won't be the first time Alabama Thunderpussy lets Larson and Virgil out to play by themselves