UMUR "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal act Volbeat. The album was released through Mascot Records in September 2008. Just like it´s two predecessors the album was recorded as Hansen Studios with prolific Danish producer Jacob Hansen. There´s been a lineup change as guitarist Franz "Hellboss" Gottschalk was fired from the band after the recording of "Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil (2007)". He is replaced here by Thomas Bredahl, who joined Volbeat for touring in support of "Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil (2007)".

The music on the album continues the 50s rock´n´roll (Johnny Cash, Elvis influenced) meets 90s Metallica heavy metal style, that was also the music style of the two predecessors "The Strength/The Sound/The Songs (2005)" and "Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil (2007)" albeit with a more mainstream approach to songwriting and a less raw sound production. I guess you can say that in places the album is more rock oriented than purely metal, instead of the other way round like the case was on the two predecessors. "Mary Ann's Place" (which features Pernille Rosendahl from Swan Lee and The Storm on guest vocals) and "Maybellene I Hofteholder" were the "hits" on the album, but the quality of the tracks is generally decent. It´s not the band´s most inspired or energetic release though. The polished sound production takes much of the band´s otherwise great energy out of the music and it´s a bit of a shame. I much prefer their more metal oriented material and harder edged sound productions. "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood" is not completely devoid of harder edged tracks though which a track like the strongly Metallica influenced "Wild Rover of Hell" is a good example of.

...so while "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood" is certainly a quality product, it doesn´t quite hold up to it´s two predecessors. Still a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is fully deserved.

mjayeh Pick up this album today on the recommendation from a friend of mine and he was playing it in his car last Friday when we were coming home from the bar. Of what I was able to hear in his car (about 4 songs), I was impressed with how well the songs were arranged and how tight the sound was. After listening to the entire album tonight reinforced the sound quality and I like the fact it's a pleasurable mix of Combining heavy metal with punk,rockabilly, and punk. I did not if a band could pull a fusion of this magnitude, but these cats were able to and do it well. I will seek other albums from these guys, give them a spin as well and I think you too will be pleasantly surprised.