I reckon it's about time a band put the chest-hair and beard back on Hard Rock; American band ANTI-MORTEM, like Swedes STONEDIVISION, set out to do just that. "New Southern" blends sounds ranging from PANTERA to DISTURBED, focusing on an innate strive for self-power. Because that's what this music is; powerful, and power-evoking.

I knew exactly what I was getting into with "Words of Wisdom", arranged and mixed to my heart's content with bass-heavy, crunching riffs and MOTORHEAD-esque chord progressions, and chorus vocals that are anthem-ic. Let the earth-shattering drive take you for the ride. Turned down a slight notch in speed, yet somehow even heavier, is the song aptly chosen for the single: "100% Pure American Rage". The message is clear; pure, from the downtrodden-heart, rage. It does not matter one bit how cheesy this track may come across as; the near=hypnotic beat of the track does nothing to diminish the explosiveness of each chorus.

"I Get Along With the Devil" is, by a thread, my favorite track, with a genius riff arrangement that is at the same time archetypal, and a creative heaviness I would not expect. Even through subsequent tracks I still have the intro/chorus riff stuck in my head. Once again, the lead guitar work is the excellence you get when you combine virtuosic technicality and soulful, evocative wails. "Truck Stop Special" should come across as an obvious homage to the band's Southern routes, combing yet another array of heavy-yet-catchy grooves, an mind-blowingly powerful vocal delivery.

Clichés never mattered from the start, when it comes to taking on board this band's sound. It's no wonder Nuclear Blast picked up on them. Old music with new sounds created by young musicians is what the genre needs right now.