Search - Soulmotor :: Soulmotor

Soulmotor - self-titled (CMC International)

Mike Reed | USA | 04/01/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Apparently,this is the band that former Tesla bassist Brian Wheat is/was in.This was the group's first of two(so far)releases.It's okay,for music to play in the background while you're doing something else.Also believe that Tesla guitarist,Frank Hannon was involved in the making of this record.Best described as bluesy-like '70's music,inspired rock&roll.Actually,it COULD grow on you.Tunes I sort of liked were "Guardian Angel","Lizard Boots","Go For A Ride" and "Supermodel".Give it a try.You might like it more than I did."

Bringing groove-based hard rock back to the front lines.

Elizabeth "Lizz" Fisher | Sacramento, CA | 06/04/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"By the time Tommy McClendon's guitar wails out a sinfully-delicious solo in the break of the album's opening track, "Guardian Angel," Soulmotor has already thrown it's hat into the major hard rock band ring. Darin Wood's menacing, yet passionate baritone growls throughout, while bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Mike Vanderhule power 13 tracks of infectiously bluesy, groovy, metallic tunes. Soulmotor's spirit lies in an undefinable potpourri of old-fashioned, grow-yer-hair-out-there-keep-yer-fist-in-the-air hard rock spirit, with equal nods to the ghosts of the 80's and Robert Johnson's crossroads. Devilish blues meld with a Sabbath-meets-TRex tuneful metallic bombast. Dark imagery of falling from grace and themes of deliverance and redemption cleverly co-exist with more upbeat, yet far from lightweight, numbers like "Live Up To Life" and the humorously-scathing "Supermodel." From the straight-forward punch of "Omega Son" and "Lizard Boots" to the radio-friendly beauty of "Fallen" to the sexy groove of "Touch Of Strange," the album is consistently addictive. The standout piece here, and what seems like could easily become a live favorite, is "By The Sound Of Her Wings," with Wood's vocals driving a taut epic about meeting the Angel Of Death. Wood delivers a chilling performance as the band slowly builds behind him to a head-rattling climax. Hard rock is back. And yeh, critics may scoff that the song remains the same, but Soulmotor stirs it up and releases it into awesome, psychoactive mind-exhaust."

It Doesn't Suck

Dennis G. Voss Jr. | Lexington, KY USA | 06/28/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I came to this CD as a fan of hard music, not as a fan of Tesla, and did not approach it with high expectations. From that perspective, it wasn't a bad purchase. The songs sometimes crunched hard, and even when they lightened up they did not move in an annoying direction that semi-hard bands sometimes choose for their filler (such as mawkish ballads, bad pop, or lame rap). I don't have to skip anything when I play it. The musicians had a good interplay, with occasionally inspired grooves, and to my untutored ear the sound quality seemed rather strong. So what's the catch? As other reviewers have already indicated, it's the vocals. Most of the songs are dull because the singing provides neither melody nor harmony nor good timing. The vocalist clearly didn't put the "soul" into Soulmotor! Which is too bad, too, because on the standout tracks from this album -- especially "Omega Son" -- he shows he can do more. One last point: "Supermodel" was a nice way to end the recording. It's written in the first-person voice of a supermodel, but with her lines sung and spoken by a gruff-voiced male playing it all straight. What otherwise might have been a cheap shot at an easily criticized profession becomes a little more interesting, leaving you to wonder whether this raw growl isn't the true sound of the supermodel's soul."