True Norwegian Outlaw Country artist DEATHBARREL (2012) hails to the Norse gods from Stavanger, Norway - home of the Norsk Oljemuseum and one long fishing trip heading south from Bergen, a fishing trip I would like to take someday. 4 song EP "Rebuke Revoke" follows hot on the heels of "Merciless Winds", a 9 song release put forth to the masses a mere three weeks earlier on May 6, 2020.  DEATHBARREL is a cheeky band that delivers a fun nod to the USA country genre.

Way down yonder...darkness bound... The plonk plonk staggering of banjo strings open the 1st song, a down tempo ballad called 'Walk Of Shame', nicely recorded and also featuring some fab horn arrangements. If these are digital sound samples of horns on this recording then they are the best I have ever heard. The song pangs with the very competent vocals by one Mr. Strangeland, who in the square world is known by the name Ottar Stangeland. 'South Of The Border' is a rather straightforward and square story of Hotel California bar room love - turn 'em upside down and pick 'em up like a six-pack. Nice fiddle, geetar pickin' and steel guitar. Mr. Strangeland, I see what you did there in the last chorus...behave¡!...now there home yonder...in all them hills... is the house where I'm bound...and a bottle of pills...

'Heard It All Before' is an uncomplicated tune. These are somewhat ingenuous songs that don't exactly make total sense in my Yardie Jamaican English mind, mon. I would appreciate a bit more poetic and lyrical meat on these songs. The saving grace is that they are very easy to listen to with tasty music arrangements...nothing up my sleeve...the last track 'Simple Boy' is a country spunker with more of those lovely horns. Dropping his usual baritone slathered in ELVIS-DANZIG affectations, Mr. Strangeland sings like Fee Waybill of TUBES pasted with a Screamin' Jay Hawkins shtick ... righteous ¡! ... although the sudden change from the driving verse to the campy cornpone chorus is a bit much for me delicate melodic sensibilities.

DEATHBARREL's one-two punch of "Rebuke Revoke" and "Merciless Winds" should keep a fan of campy oddball country cowpunk-but-not-punk entertained. Both of these releases share similar production values (good) and somewhat humorous and ribald songwriting...and holy bad apples DEATHBARREL even has their own signature cider bottled by Kvestad Sideri AS. Have a drink on DEATHBARREL!

The virus surges in our veins, We die for the sake of our ignorance. Let the heavens roar with drugs. Let thunderbolts rain with pharma profits. Let us share to the Spotify list of Dani Bandolier  ... and have a drink on me.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/272H3UBARsuksY3BqU0CzP?si=BndreC1XTNG4N-wts2ZgjA