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The Atomic Bitchwax sound like they wanted to be a prog band but their instinct for riff-driven rock got the better of them. Previous albums showed elements of space rock and old-school prog grooves but Force Field heads straight for beer-fuelled party rock. Fans of experimentalism might find this off-putting, but seven albums in, this New Jersey three-piece have really honed their sound. Maybe it helps that Chris Kosnik and Bob Pantella’s Monster Magnet day jobs sate their appetite for psychedelic hooks leaving them to focus on quickfire fun like a caffeinated Foo Fighters. With titles like Alaskan Thunder Fuck and Tits And Bones, this is a party of restless energy, hard-hitting skin-pounding and sweaty shimmy rock that begs for limb-flinging mosh frivolity with some catchy tunes chucked in. Less is definitely more in this case.

With over 10 years’ experience writing for Metal Hammer and Prog, Holly has reviewed and interviewed a wealth of progressively-inclined noise mongers from around the world. A fearless voyager to the far sides of metal Holly loves nothing more than to check out London’s gig scene, from power to folk and a lot in between. When she’s not rocking out Holly enjoys being a mum to her daughter Violet and working as a high-flying marketer in the Big Smoke.

The Atomic Bitchwax - Force Field album review

New Jersey’s prog/psych veterans get their party groove on