What do you call a car that’s been built on an aging yet trusty framework, around a bread-and-butter drivetrain with a monstrously growling V8 hidden under a sexy shell sporting some sleek, classy lines? Right, that’d be a muscle car.
And what do you call a t-shirt that’s got stripped of unnecessary parts in order to show the sweat on your shoulders and biceps while doing very masculine stuff? Yeah, too easy, that’s a muscle shirt.
So what would you call a breed of rock ’n’ roll, whose drums pound with the kinetic energy of a cylinder piston scratching the edge of its specs, whose bass even drives P*rnosonic back into mom’s arms – chased by a guitar sound that could blow the air out of a room if someone accidentally opened a door? A heavy groove, crowned by a voice as solid as a mountain, boasting a massive foundation and well-shaped peaks, even though it once came from the flat south?
Well, technically, we could name it muscle rock, but that isn’t really a thing – or is it? Let’s call it The Mercury Riots for now.
If you’re a fan of any or all of the above, or if you tend to fall in love with people who are, there’s no way you’re not quickly checking this out below.
Are you having a riot yet? That’s “Be Yours”, the very first single taken straight from The Mercury Riots’ upcoming debut album “In Solstice”, which will be out on June 21st, 2024, and is already available for pre-order.
So who the fuck are these guys, who won the prestigious HRH Award in the Rising Stars category only two years after getting together as a band in the middle of a pandemic? Simple answer: killer musicians, and highly sought after guns for hire in the pulsating protoplasma of the L.A. heavy music scene.
And with the lockdowns taking away all means of getting their hands dirty and their bellies boozed up in a rich L.A. nightlife, the four best friends unceremoniously started their own gig: The Mercury Riots. But how come that they don’t just sound like your regular L.A. sleaze rockers, you may wonder.
The Mercury Riots are simply immune to such trends, as their individual cultural heritage truly makes for a gang of motley dogs, drawing inspiration from Metallica just as much as they do from, say, Muddy Waters or ZZ Top. Their style may have been nurtured and their friendship forged in the wild heart of Los Angeles but all their passion and the inclination towards virtuosity – well, each of them has brought those to the City Of Angels in their luggage: from New Orleans, where Justin Walker’s voice was born and raised to tune in to traditional southern blues, as to rock and metal.
From the vibrant city of Montevideo, Uruguay, where Fede Delfino learned to channel his fiery and passionate energy into buttery smooth bass lines and mesmerizing singing.
From the rough streets of Philadelphia, where Jonny Udell found his rhythm that he exported to the west coast so successfully early on, making his name as the ultimate drum machine.
And last but not least from Uruguay again – with Jonny’s long-term bandmate Felipe Rodrigo and his trusty guitar. Felipe became a musical nomad at a very young age, and embarked on a rock ‘n’ roll journey across the Americas. He and Jonny have successfully played together in the past. Drawing from the heavy punch of metal, they’ve been following the same vision ever since: reignite the boogie in rock ’n’ roll – just bolder and with elegance and stomp being plentiful, yet presented in a perfect equilibrium. That vision’s got a new name now!
And the quality of the sound is by no means a fluke either: Before heading out for a ginormous European tour later that year, The Mercury Riots flew to Vancouver, Canada, in 2023 to record “In Solstice” with no other than legendary producer & engineer Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, Joe Satriani), who co-produced, mixed and engineered the album at The Warehouse Studio and Armoury Studios. While Mr. Fraser brilliantly captured all the powerful riffing, soulful vocals and pumping rhythms, the band decided to put the fine art of mastering in equally golden hands: It had to be Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound (The Black Keys, Greta Van Fleet, The National). Stating the obvious, the result sounds fuckin’ awesome!
Pre-order & pre-save “In Solstice” here.
Tracklist:
1. Make It
2. Be Yours
3. LA Girls
4. Sweet Melody
5. Take Me When You Go
6. Light It Up
7. Save Me a Drink
8. Scream It Out
9. 99 Degrees
10. Nobody Knows
Live Shows 2024:
July 6 – Alive Fest , Borlänge, Sweden
July 25 – Lesconil, France
July 26 – Kerity/ Penmarch, France
Aug 3rd – Skogsrojet Festival – Rejmyre, Sweden
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/themercuryriots
www.instagram.com/themercuryriots
