Black Robot Is Not Buckcherry. And That's a Good Thing.
Leaving Buckcherry has turned out to be a smart move for Jonathan Brightman, Yogi Lonich, and Devon Glenn. And not just because whiney Buckcherry vocalist Josh Todd is not in Brightman’s newly-formed Black Robot. But also because the band’s self-titled debut contains eleven tracks of pretty darn raucous rock ‘n roll.
Unlike the hyper-processed, sex appeal-dependent ‘cherry, Black Robot takes inspiration from classic rock and metal acts like AC/DC and Sabbath. Even the pointy-horned robot character conceived by Brightman and depicted wreaking havoc on the album cover seems to proclaim, not so subtly, “This is an old-school metal homage!” As if that clue was not clear enough, the band’s harder version of the Clapton/Cale classic “Cocaine” drives home the point that Black Robot is more interested in exploring its rock roots than in following any contemporary trend.
That said, Robot does tend to wear its influences prominently on its shiny black sleeves. The band’s myspace page cites The Black Crowes as a muse, and the record’s fourth track, “I’m in Love,” sounds like it actually belongs on a Crowes album. Had Chris Robinson done the vocals, the average listener probably would have mistaken the Robot for the Crowes. Is this a good thing? It’s hard to decide. The music’s enjoyable. The style’s just unoriginal. And, coming from California (not Georgia), it seems a bit inauthentic, though no less heartfelt.
Other songs work better. The title track blends Ozzy-like vocals with Van Halen-type riffs. “Dissatisfaction” seems to simultaneously acknowledge the Stones and Led Zeppelin. Is the sound purely unique? No. But it’s well-executed and, for the most part, pure fun.
