J.D. Overdrive – Sex, Whiskey & Southern Blood

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Poland, that pure, inexhaustable source of southern metal. No, really. Well, maybe not inexhaustable, but apparently not devoid. Cue J.D. Overdrive (yes, short for Jack Daniels Overdrive) with a heavy, dirty, grooving debut album that doesn’t sound even remotely like it should come from anywhere but New Orleans, Atlanta or Alabama. The sound of Sex, Whiskey & Southern Blood is a curious mix of Pantera, Creed and Godsmack; a kind of heavy, southern, modern metal. It sounds ridiculous on paper, but in reality works very, very well. Their attempt to heavy up Jimi Hendrix Experience staple Purple Haze doesn’t quite work, but their originals are all southern-drenched concert classics in the making. It’s not really possible to suggest there’s much in the way of variety, but there almost doesn’t need to be. What J.D. Overdrive do is deliver pummeling southern riffs by the bucketload with gruff, aggressive vocals which occupy a similar realm to Sully Erna and Scott Stapp, with a little Philip Anselmo in places, and puncuate it all with tasteful, concise solos (apart from the one on epic Demonize, which is tasteful and brilliantly lengthy). To use an old adage, this is a windows-down driving album. All adrenaline, all the time (until magnificent acoustic closer Into The Same River). And it’s a good one at that. Well worth the purchase for fans of Black Stone Cherry, Black Label Society and Down.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Albums, Quick.Play Reviews, Southern, J.D. Overdrive