Tough Love

As of writing this review, I’ve listened to more than 80 full-length albums from this year. To some, that’s next to nothing, but to others it might seem intimidating with the amount of suspected fodder this number might entail. Normally I’d belong in the second category without a doubt, but this year I kind of just ended up here. I find something on a promotional youtube channel that grabs my interest, put it on, listen to a song or two then cast it out to my backlog of records to check out. Then eventually comes the systematic eradication of said backlog by listening to each album at least twice before drawing a conclusion. Why the fuck am I telling you all this? Well, you see, due to real-life responsibilities (surprisingly, diplomas require some effort to get), after the previous step is done, I don’t usually listen the said record regularly. That is what makes Tough Love special. Despite being in the lower half of my yearly album ranking – even if just marginally being worse than something around the top 40 - I listen the shit out of the Australian hard-rockin’ maniacs’ debut full-length.

If the minimalistic yet stylish album cover doesn’t tell you what you are in for, then let me enlighten you. Aardvark play the dictionary definition of metalized hard rock – or if you want to be rude about it, watered-down heavy metal – in the most stereotypical fashion possible. But before anyone’s mind immediately jumps to conclusions in favour of the likes of early Maiden, Def Leppard or god forbid, Diamond Head, let me clarify what exactly is their sound profile. Speedy, yet melodic riffs get mixed with profoundly sorrowful vocals from Mr. Vark, delivering a certain mood that’s best described as melodramatic love-song-sounding heavy metal. It is a unique mixture – well to my ears at least – that I could swear I heard before, but for the life of me, I couldn’t point you in its direction. Is it Thin Lizzy’s verses on Thunder and Lightning I hear the influences of? Is it Tygers of Pan Tang’s (a band that I’m admittedly not all too familiar with) second album I discovered in Tough Love’s DNA? I’m not quite sure, but it manages to make such an impression that I can’t help but come back to it every other week.

Judging by the title and the score of the review, you can probably tell that the said impression is mostly a positive one, but all things considered, Tough Love is an incredibly uneven album. It starts off great with Ankh bringing speedy, race-car-like riffs in the verses before arriving to a post-solo bridge that is full of melodies reeking mysticism. Sure, I’d prefer if the mix was done in a way that the rhythm section doesn’t completely overpower the guitars, but I can handle a little busyness in this regard. Then comes the title track, which could have easily been awarded the honours of being called the best song on the album if it wasn’t for one that I’ll talk about shortly. Guitars woefully chug away in a nice staccato, building up the tension in tandem with the loud bass plucks, raising the energy until the vocals burst the imaginary bubble (god my descriptions are getting weirder and weirder) and toss you back down with the stylish “Please keep me out of sight”.

But right after the hefty dose of cheesy goodness that is the first two tracks, we start going downhill. That’s not to say that Don’t Call Me a Lier is bad, and Fire admittedly is the exception to the rule as it is nearly as good as the title track, but by the time you get to track five, the magic starts wearing off. Songs get increasingly more generic, missing any standout parts the previous ones had. The aforementioned mixing choices don’t make it any better either, having the already scarce earworm riffs hard to notice with them being ever so slightly buried under the drums and the bass. Fight Back is especially guilty of being boring as sin with a solo that feels more like an obligation rather than an expression of… anything really. At this point, one might think that they have heard everything the record has to offer, maybe even had their unsure hands reach for the eject button on their imaginary sound system. Afterall, as expressive as the vocals might be, they aren’t all that versatile and the last two songs probably aren’t worth sticking around for… and then The Dream is Nearly Over comes on.

To say that this one track alone put my ears through a series of auditory orgasms would be an understatement. Compared to this, the whole record just feels like the band was fucking around, preparing the ground so that the absolute masterclass of a ballad would hit extra hard. It starts out with wonderful clean leads, slowly introducing the vocals that are not just sorrowful anymore, they are straight up yearning with such passion in the verses that it puts almost any 80s vocalist to shame. And then… Ecstasy. As much of a fanboying overreaction as this might seem like, the chorus of this song is out of this world. The backing and lead vocals meet in such harmonies, that they are permanently burned into my brain with the “And I thought I’d last forever” and “And the dream is nearly over” lines. The high notes? They are the purest example of passion this style of metal is capable of, and I’ll die on this hill if need be. There is also the bluesy turned electrifyingly metal solo, and it just takes the already perfect song and pushes it over from being a 10/10 to being an 11/10, as no conventional rating metric would give the whole track justice. All is to say, this song is my absolute favourite track of the year, and I’d go as far as to say that I haven’t heard anything quite this good since Traveler’s Street Machine. The only real way it could have been improved is if it was the last track of the album, so it goes out on a perfect note.

With that being said, let’s descend from the high heavens of the second to last song and look at the record as a whole for a minute. Tough Love is anything but perfect, sporting handful of moments that are kinda just alright, and some that are downright annoying (e.g. some half-assed highs on Too Old to Cry around the middle of it). However, when it’s good, the album really scratches an itch for me that not many new bands try, and even less manage to scratch.

Whether it's the cute and nocturnal, insect munching burrower or Melbourne's latest proponent of the Tank, Heavy Load, Raven, Jaguar and Vardis school of riffery, there's a whole lot to dig about Aardvark, which today releases its Tough Love debut, a nine track powerhouse worthy of instant perusal, if the trailblazing comrade-in-arms cover design is any indication. Surely, it demonstrates the uncompromising solidarity between the sexes, amply proving that gals rock as hard as any ole stubbled aspirant to the almighty riff throne. (It also symbolizes the raw boned yet intricate synergy between the quartet's twin tandem of an axe woman and axe man.)

The Egyptophile opener, "Ankh", gives off the aura and complexity of a closer, but instead of emulating the sinister sounding triplet gallop of Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" or Mercyful Fate's distinctly evil, down picked bruiser, "Curse Of The Pharaohs", it simply sets the album's deep seated, guitar-heavy tone - a rather crunchy one which evokes a contemporary version of above legends of old.

After several listens, it also feels like the album's track list plays out in reverse, with the shorter, more "single" apt tracks clustered towards the back, notably the non-you tube friendly "Killer" and lyrical banger "Too Old To Cry" which first springs to mind upon rattled reflection, while intensely smacking of Tank and Judas Priest, title wise. Similar head turned musing occurs with the upbeat and rollicking, initially early Maiden styled "Don't Call Me A Liar", but in the end, Aardvark proudly honours its forebears while simultaneously injecting its own effervescent brand of horn throwing rabidity into the mix. For want of possible single, other than title track, the Thin Lizzy-ish "Fire" soars as a suitable selection, where the slick and snappy mid range cries rejuvenate musical passions left dormant for far too long.

It's no surprise Dying Victims Productions wins again by signing Aardvark's Tough Love, a modern day letter of recognition towards classics such as Jaguar's Power Games and Tank's Filth Hounds Of Hades. With its vinyl conducive length of roughly forty minutes, it's a no-brainer for passionate trad metal/NWOBHM collectors and fans. It also rockets to the top of my playlist...and not just alphabetically.