Blood and Rock ân Roll go together naturally, and The Workhorse III could tell you a thing or two about it. Guitarist/Vocalist Lisa Flynn works her day job as a post-surgical nurse, while drummer Eric Perfect has plied his trade for more than two decades as a tattoo artists (and owner of Philadelphia's Kadillac Tattoo Deuce). Along with bassist Brian Blunker, The Workhorse III have poured their own blood into the follow-up to their 2010 self-titled release, Fortune Favors The Bold.
The album kicks off with a loud start in the form of "You're My Demise". The song is a great introduction for new listeners of the band, while fans of their debut will immediately recognize the fuzzy guitar sound and Flynn's powerful vocal delivery. Moving seamlessly into "Leave Me Alone", Flynn's opening guitar riff is positively Dirty, vocals set low in the mix. "Kiss Me Goodbye" ups the tempo just a little, with Flynn delivering the scathing line "Said I'd always love you/I must be high ⦠Kiss me Goodbye!" with the appropriate fire (and scream).
The eight tracks on Fortune Favors The Bold follow the same general style â female vocals with a driving rhythm section and fuzzy, distorted guitar. "Broken Man", however, deviates from that formula a bit, creating the closest to a power ballad that the band could deliver. Starting with an acoustic intro, and then bursting into a harder electric frenzy, the song has an almost Southern Rock feel to it in parts. "Anytime" starts off promising, but lyrically falls into a repetitive circle of "I wanna â¦". But redemption comes quickly with the excellent (and excellently titled) "Satan Works My Head".
The album ends almost as quickly as it begins. Eight tracks in 20 minutes. Unfortunately, it ends with more of a whimper than the bang that it began with. "How It Used To Be" is a dark, sludgy song that builds to the line "Depression's got me/Won't let go" bringing to mind Black Flag's classic song, "Depression". Blunker's bass is especially prominent on this track, being isolated on its own. Not a bad song, but not the loud rocker that this record deserves to have has its closing track.
Fans of stoner rock meets punk (think Fu Manchu and St. Vitus mashed together) should check it out. Slip on your headphones. Turn the lights off. Bob your head to The Workhorse III.