It seems so long ago now that Heaven’s Basement were known as Hurricane Party, with an approach owing so much to Def Leppard. These days they’ve kept the best traits from that era – melody and fulminating rhythms – but added a contemporary edge.
Filthy Empire starts off at a cracking pace with the brash Welcome Home, kicks up the anthemic cinders on the sparking Fire, Fire and raises the stakes with Nothing Left To Lose, which is what might happen if Europe and Papa Roach traded punches. There’s a joyous use of vocal harmonies, allied to memorable tunes and dark riffs. The result is an impressive album that isn’t afraid to be bold.
When The Lights Go Out is a warming funk rocker, while there’s a bluesy groove to Jump Back, and The Long Goodbye owes a little something to The Cult. In fact, the latter are possibly the closest comparison, Heaven’s Basement being a younger, invigorated reinvention of what made Ian Astbury and co so formidable.
