From the birthplace of Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace come Sons Of Merrick. This London-based band brings all the comforts of the South (and I “ain’t” talking South London) home with their debut album Tight Nerves & Suavity. Being in a genre that is somewhat overlooked, will these guys stand out or just end up in the bargain bin?

The album starts off with a juggernaut called “Striding The Valleys Of Skullumus.” I was immediately drawn to their infectious sound. Sons Of Merrick come off like a lethal combination of Kyuss and Fu Manchu, with some Entombed sprinkled in at times. The grooves are big, fat and loaded with southern swamp madness. Vocally, Nick Berkshire comes off as a mix of John Garcia (Kyuss) and Nic Cester (Jet).

“Sissy” is a track that will make you want to find your neighbors cat and punt it. The huge grooves are as solid as concrete, and laden with hip shaking boogie. The choruses truly standout with how brutal they are. Berkshire adds just enough grit vocally to make sure you give plenty of blood in the pit.

“The Howling” is a track that could have come straight off of a Fu Manchu record. Thunderous drums and bass lay down a solid backdrop of trippy goodness. The stonerriffic riffs are as monstrous as Beyonce’s booty…and we all know she’s got plenty of junk in her trunk! There is a breakdown near the end of the song that has an almost Motorhead feel, that quickly bottoms out with a killer heavy groove.

Another song that totally pummels is “Bastinado.” To me, this is a song that should be destined for commercial greatness. It’s very reminiscent of the desert kings Kyuss, with its grungy stomp, style and sound. The fuzzy, over distorted guitars and bass are perfectly mixed with deafening drums that will surely make the rock gods smile.

Sons Of Merrick have created an album that is every bit as good as the legendary Kyuss’ Blues For The Red Sun and Fu Manchu’s No One Rides For Free. Tight Nerves & Suavity is definitely an album that deserves tremendous recognition and praise. So come on in, buckle up and enjoy one hell of a trip.

4.5/5