Black Cat Nine- Genuine Worldshakers

I was initially befuddled by “Worldshakers”, because Black Cat Nine’s signature sound before this was Roy Reynold’s amazing nails-on-blackboard screech, a hysterical high-pitched caterwauling that immediately provoked either a hearty thumbs-up or a hasty retreat from whatever room it was happening in. Me, I was in the former camp, because this was outlandish rock and roll nonsense, as crazed and flamboyant as rock ought to be. Well, I dunno what happened, cuz Roy is still fronting the band, but he’s somehow lowered his range to a biker metal snarl, with nary a cat scratching yelp in sight. Luckily, biker metal is my bag, so I’m completely on deck. And you? Well, now you don’t haveta stuff cotton in your ears just to be down with the BC9. Unexpected for sure, but a smart move for Roy and the boys, who just increased their potential fanbase by about a million. Musically, things ain’t different, just better- “Genuine Worldshakers” is a tough, engine burning sleaze metal record in the fine and noble sweat n’ swagger tradition of the Almighty, Little Caesar, and yeah, the Love Reaction. This one’s all about shameless excess and the reckless wielding of volume and power, a single-minded pursuit of the ultimate Bad Ass Rock and Roll record. Black Cat Nine very nearly nail it cold here, too. The king daddy Cadillac track on “Worldshakers” has gotta be the Skid Row-meets Junkyard riff n’ roll majesty of “Think”, but the punk-infused scorcher “Nowhere Fast” and the slow-burning stomp of “Attitude” are pretty fuckin’ boss, as well. It is a great pleasure to see these Italian sleazehounds rise from freakshow flash metal oddities to the arena rocking monsters they are here. “Genuine Worldshakers”? Yep. They got the title right.