Australia's SHOTGUN MISTRESS formed in 2018. From their record label page, they "swerved into the Australian Rock scene like a stolen Camaro at the end of 2018 and proceeded to waste no time whatsoever. They kicked things off by recording the hard-rocking anti-domestic violence banger "No Friend of Mine." By the end of 2019 they had a single, an album, a video, a range of shirts, 30 national and international radio interviews, and 20 physical features, reviews and interviews. For a bunch of stooges, they get shit done. No radio can resist them, no venue can say no." Their debut album here contains thirteen tracks.

Hard Rock will never go away, and who would want it to? Whether we are talking about the raw power of acts like AC/DC, who admittedly did not put much variation into their music with close to 50 years in the making, or more modern acts like CREYE, who are bringing back AOR Nostalgia with vengeance. One thing that was noted about the album and crew is that guitarist Matt Wilcock is allegedly quite the musician and his reputation precedes him. I believe he assembled this group for the most part. How does SHOTGUN MISTRESS stack up? Let's take a listen to some of the highlights on the album and see for ourselves.

"Born 'N Raised" features some dexterous leads and a raucous, energetic quality..."Bleed Me Out" features some pounding drums and sleazy guitar riffs and vocals..."No Friend of Mine" is a real firecracker and you can see how it landed the band on the map, although with many bands in the genre, you can see how this music would lend itself better to live performances than studio work. It's catchy and if you can resist signing along with it, you might need to check your pulse. "Natural Disaster" is a burning four-minutes of high intensity, highly catchy music with plenty of balls, and a bite from the riffs..."Glorious Machine" tells a story of a fem fatale that brings the singer to his knees..."Analyse" is mid-tempo rocker with a grungy, dirty sound, "Technicolour Faded" is a quicker offering with harmonies in the chorus, and "May She Never Walk Alone" is that power-ballad you were waiting for and knew was coming, with tender vocals, a poignant sound and heavy guitars for accent.

In sum, although these riffs aren't one that you haven't heard before, they are re-vitalized with SHOTGUN MISTRESS's intensity, stamina, and obvious love for what they do. Most of the tracks are just do damn catchy, with big hooks in the chorus, tight riffs and a rhythm section that would rival any band in the genre. Though I would still content that the band is better live than in the studio, this is an excellent release of thirteen good songs that is well worth your time.