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Warrior Soul: Cocaine And Other Good Stuff
Warrior Soul - Cocaine And Other Good Stuff Album Art

Warrior Soul: Cocaine And Other Good ...

Hard Rock
3.5/5.0

Internet Facebook
Livewire/Cargo Records UK
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 11.11.2020 | Released: 13.11.2020

Thirty years ago, Kory Clarke and Warrior Soul dropped their debut album, Last Decade Dead Century, and followed it with four albums straight through 1994. Clarke would soon retire the band in 1996. Ten or so years later, Clarke would resurrect the band with a revolving door of cast members. But it's only been in the last five years that Warrior Soul has had another flurry of consistent album output. Clarke and Warrior Soul now return with Cocaine And Other Good Stuff, a covers album featuring versions of songs from an unlikely assortment of bands: from KISS to KC and The Sunshine Band, The Cars to Grand Funk Railroad, Alice Cooper to Motorhead. You can view the complete tracklist below.

Warrior Soul - Click For Larger Image

Warrior Soul

Generally, I'm always skeptical of cover albums, but they do tend to intrigue me. Most times they're never as good as the originals. When you do a covers album, a band faces two particular issues: picking the right songs that reflect their musical background or interests and determining whether they're going to follow the original arrangement or reinterpret it in another fashion.

Considering Kory Clarke's life and musical history, which spans many years and genres, his selection of songs is appropriate, yet also eclectic like him. As for Warrior Soul's interpretation of each song, with few exceptions the band follows the original arrangement, particularly the melody. In other words, the song sounds like the original while still wrapped in Warrior Soul's hard and heavy punk rock veneer featuring Clarke's usual gnarly, sneering voice. All these things lead to the final assessment, do you like what your hear or not. Here's my lowdown.

Good Times Roll favors the original's rhythm and groove, but seems sluggish. It's okay. The heavier take on Cocaine gives it a down and dirty feeling of drug abuse that Clapton didn't really capture. For Hendrix' Crosstown Traffic you need strong guitar work. The song will do, but it wasn't a favorite, vocals just too nasty. KISS' Cold Gin was horrid. I could barely recognize it. Firehouse was a little better. Everybody seems to cover Van Halen's DOA. Warrior Soul made it sound like heavy metal punk.

Coop's Elected seems a choice for America's chaotic 2020 election year. Clarke and company get the punkish pomp parody of the original. Thank God they didn't choose School's Out. Same could be said for the Motorhead choice, Outlaw, rather than Ace Of Spades. Motorhead was the first band to merge punk with heavy metal. Clarke can appreciate that. KC's Get Down Tonight is, well, humorous and ... strange.

We're An American Band is a good fit for Warrior Soul. They don't mess with the original composition all that much, merely make it heavier and rougher. We all love Judas Priest and there are so many great songs to choose from, including the essential Livin' After Midnight. Again, Warrior Soul doesn't fumble the arrangement but, vocally, Clarke's style doesn't fit the song. Unless, of course, they twist it with their heavy punk groove, which they do. But with Priest, I'm a sentimental purist. You decide what you think.

All things considered, Warrior Soul's Cocaine And Other Good Stuff is an interesting covers album where the band interprets the songs through their trademark hard and heavy punk rock groove. Check it out. You may dig it.

Tracklist: 1. Good Times Roll (The Cars) 2. Cocaine (J.J. Cale) 3. Crosstown Traffic (Jim Hendrix) 4. Cold Gin (KISS) 5. D.O.A. (Van Hale) 6. Elected (Alice Cooper) 7. Outlaw (Motorhead) 8. Firehouse (KISS) 9. Get Down Tonight (KC And The Sunshine Band) 10. We're An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad) 11. Living After Midnight (Judas Priest)




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The Bottom Line

Warrior Soul's Cocaine And Other Good Stuff is an interesting covers album where the band interprets the songs through their trademark hard and heavy punk rock groove. Check it out. You may dig it.

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