The Company of Snakes
Burst the Bubble
Steamhammer / SPV
A Whitesnake tribute band consisting of former Whitesnake members, anyone? Well, if Whitesnake wasn’t the hottest thing in the first place, this second-rate line-up surely isn’t going to better them. But hey, there’s a lot to be said for some semi-pathetic nostalgia once in a while, so why not? And if you’re feeling particularly masochistic, you should definitely get their albums, featuring all-new material. Woo-hoo? Not so.
Down to earth and homely blues rock, this is as inoffensive as they come, and while it’s all impeccably performed, there’s not exactly a lot of excitement to be found here. And so, over the course of 15 tracks, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Neil Murray and the rest of them plod their way through an hour of tired jams and half-assed, worn-out song structures. “I’m going back to the blues/I’m still looking for clues/This is the life that I choose/I got nothing to lose,” sings Stefan Berggren on the one called – you guessed it – “Back to the Blues.” Oh, well.
Unsatisfying, if musically competent, there’s no real reason to get this unless you’re a die-hard Whitesnake fan. For all I know, The Company of Snakes may be an amazing live nostalgia act, but on record there’s not much going on. So, kinda like the original Whitesnake after all, then.
SPV: http://www.spv.de
