THEBUCKLE are a duo from Italy that play a blend of Hard Rock and Stoner spiced with Punk influences. They are rather new to the scene, and early in February 2017 they released their second album titled "Labbrador". On the paper, this 11-track sounds like a big promise in the first few tunes, but soon it turns out to be scant in fresh ideas and starting from the second track you feel that you pretty much listen to the same song again and again. "Evil Sky" is a fitting opening shot for the album, a solid mid-tempo rocking track with simple chords. The vocals are very British in attitude in a way that cannot be explained, a bit whiny but at the same punchy. The guitar sound is crunchy and the bass is pleasantly audible (which is always a plus). The drums also sound good - the snare is neither tinny nor hollow and all instruments sound pretty tight, though there's nothing really challenging or experimental in any way that requires mustering exceptional skills.

Most tracks follow pretty much the same pattern and no actual interesting riffs could be found throughout. "Blind" starts with obnoxious high-pitched singing that had me put down the headphones (as a side comment, I find headphones the best way to enjoy music, completely oblivious to the surroundings and totally engulfed by the tunes) and grimace, asking myself where the hell did that come from. Sorry to say, but the very good production could not make for the underwhelming music. I wouldn't say it's a BAD album, but better songwriting could be a time well spent instead of perfect production that can't make for the laziness, and result is rather underwhelming. It wasn't until track 7 that a tiebreaker popped up in the form of "Think." That's where the Stoner side of the story is suddenly felt in the main riff. It's also quite emotional and the vocal performance is substantially better than the rest of the album. It is well written and includes more elements and varying tempo, which make it stand out. I wish the entire album was like that - it could bring the whole experience to a whole new level.

But after this highlight the storm subsides and the languid attitude returns. Another track that slightly pushes THEBUCKLE's envelope is "Shemale," which is more aggressive and biting, kindly assisted by the amplified fuzz and energetic appeal. "On My Own" adds a funky edge to this album with it jagged rhythm and occasional spurt of heavy, fuzzy guitars. The second half of the album is arguably the better part; too bad you have to wait until the 25-minute mark to start enjoying the album. The experience could be enhanced by a more balanced order of the tracklist. As a final word, this album lack primarily in songwriting. When I see a band's style (or at least part of it) labeled as Stoner, I expect something a bit more advanced in terms of musicianship and riffing. Maybe I was asking for too much. But then again, the perceived radio-friendly appeal is probably what went through the duo's mind while releasing this album. There's room for improvement; we'll see on the next album.