Being touted as the new darlings of the Nuclear Blast roster by some, Oklahoma's Anti-Mortem have unleashed a pretty solid album for their label debut. New Southern is well worth seeking out for any fan of Pantera, Hell Yeah, Alice in Chains, and Disturbed, an album chock full of fist pumping anthems, thunderous grooves, and modern, yet slightly doom laden riffs. It's not very original, and extremely cliche ridden at times, but there's no denying the fact that "Words of Wisdom", "100% Pure American Rage", and "I Get Along With the Devil" motor along quite nicely and provide for some pure headbanging fun. "Path to Pain" even dips a little into Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Black Stone Cherry styled Southern Rock, with some rootsy vocals and screaming guitar licks, and "Ride of Your Life" amps up the adrenaline for a thrilling heavy rock ride.
New Southern is one of those albums that you can just check your brain at the door, and enjoy the metal ride without giving much thought into what you are listening to. It's pure, American hard rock & metal, not meant to change the world but still a lot of fun. It's not hard to see why Nuclear Blast signed these guys, and whether they become superstars remains to be seen, but the potential is clearly there.
Track Listing
1. Words of Wisdom
2. New Southern
3. 100% Pure American Rage
4. Hate Automatic
5. Black Heartbeat
6. I Get Along With the Devil
7. Path to Pain
8. Wake Up
9. Ride of your Life
10. Stagnant Water
11. Truck Stop Special
12. Jonesboro