Norwegian power trio Bokassa have had the kind of career moments that many bands would surely envy; they’ve opened for Metallica and Lars Ulrich even declared them his new favourite band, for one thing. It’s a good thing, then, that the band have got not only the chops but the songs and the attitude to back up that kind of confidence. Their latest album Molotov Rocktail is an incendiary mix of stoner rock, punk grit and exudes sheer fun and raucous energy from start to finish.
Opening with the brief ‘Freelude’, a lone guitar builds into a chugging riff that barely hints at the carnage to come. The rumbling bass of ‘So Long Idiots’, though, bounds out the gates with glee. It serves up chaotic punk rock energy with an arena-sized chorus that practically demands a singalong. ‘Pitchforks R Us’ keeps that energy coming with its rollicking groove and snarling vocal hooks. The band manage to cram in more hooks than a fishing convention; there’s an anarchic, old school punk feel meshed alongside big stoner grooves like the aforementioned ‘Pitchforks R Us’ and ‘Low (And Behold)’.
Heriticules’ intends to keep people on their toes and its constant chopping and changing certainly accomplishes that, all without losing Bokassa’s trademark anthemic writing and infectious heaviness. In something of a change to this, the title track itself is a far more straightforward rager, throwing in a neck-snapping riff, gang chants and a rowdy vocal performance complete with repeated shouts of “Fuck ‘em up!”. The momentum continues into ‘Burn It All (P.T.S.D.E.A.D)’ with a gritty, almost Motorhead groove and hook.
What Bokassa serve up across Molotov Rocktail’s eleven tracks might be relatively simple stoner punk but don’t let that fool you; it’s proof that sometimes, less really is more. By forgoing overly technical hooks or particularly complex songwriting – though not ignoring twists and turns completely – they’ve crafted an album that oozes effortless punk rock swagger as well retaining some snarl and bite. If what you’re looking for is a hard-rocking, hard-partying good time, Molotov Rocktail delivers the goods exactly as its name suggests and shows they’ve more than earned such accolades from Lars Ulrich and co.