Feral Roots is the seventh record from California quartet Rival Sons, so you’d be forgiven for thinking the band would settle into a comfortable groove and go through the motions that had earned them the success they’ve achieved thus far. On the contrary though, this album is fizzing and popping with all the energy and ambition that would usually characterise a debut record, yet is propelled further by the maturity that comes with a decade of experience.

Ten years of hard work didn’t go unnoticed, and the band celebrated a successful 18 month jaunt as the sole opening act for Black Sabbath by signing to a major label in the form of Low Country Sound, an imprint of Atlantic.

If there was any pressure in delivering a quality first record for the home of Led Zeppelin and Aretha Franklin, Rival Sons have responded strongly and then some. The intial trio of tracks are an opening salvo with all the nuanced subtlety of a battering ram. Singer Jay Buchanan barely gets three words into opener and lead single Do Your Worst before switching from a low, dangerous vocal to the top-of-the-lungs bellow fans have grown to know and love him for.

Similarly, drummer Mike Miley’s Bonzo-esque flurry that marks the start of Back In The Woods is a clear and unquestionable signal that these boys mean business (though truth be told, Miley’s even more impressive with his subtle, jazz-flecked fills that add welcome depth and texture to the likes of Look Away and All Directions).

Not that Feral Roots is all fur coat and no knickers. Sure, Buchanan can write brainless yet catchy hooks with aplomb (second track Sugar on the Bone has enough references to ‘rock and roll’ to make even AC/DC’s Brian Johnson blush) yet the singer proves he’s capable of much more poetic introspection on Imperial Joy and the outstanding title track.

Jetting off around the world to open for Black Sabbath is the kind of thing that will rub off on a guy, and in the mid-album high point of Too Bad, guitarist Scott Holiday taps into his inner Iommi to launch an absolute monster of a riff. The chords burst through like cannon fire, a trick repeated to great effect on personal favourite End of Forever.

Despite the early comparisons to Led Zep, the band have now assuredly developed a sound and personality all of their own. No clearer is this evidenced by the way they move seamlessly from the heavier-than-lead Too Bad to the groovy, Stones-esque Stood By Me. The fact two markedly different songs can sit so easily next to each other on the running order, demonstrates the coherence in the band’s character – as well as how comfortable they are exploring different aspects of their sonic personality.

Album closer Shooting Stars is clearly influenced by the current political climate in the US, and despite the song’s target being about as subtle as a gynecologist in a gas mask, the lyrics are kept mercifully broad enough for the track to stand alone. Although no fan of Trump, I tend to consider the hysteria surrounding the current US president to be massively overblown, but even I found the core message of the song – delivered in equal parts by a soaring gospel choir and Jay’s powerhouse larynx – to be incredibly uplifting.

Having usually spent no longer than a couple of weeks concocting an album, Rival Sons took a much more measured approach this time around. Recording sessions were still kept to short stints to capture the danger and energy that runs through their live performances (and undoubtedly helped in no small part by long-time collaborator and grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb). But these sessions were punctuated with longer writing retreats undertaken by Buchanan and Holiday. This more measured and collaborative approach has yielded spectacular results, with Feral Roots arguably the most accomplished and coherent release from the band to date.

Rival Sons have a habit of ending their albums with more melancholy affairs (See True from Head Down or All That I Want from Hollow Bones), and although Shooting Stars begins with more subdued acoustic guitar, the track climaxes with all the power and gravitas of an arena-shattering anthem. Therein lies the clearest statement of intent from the band. And on this kind of form, arena-headliner status may well be right around the corner.

Tracklisting:

Do Your Worst
Sugar On The Bone
Back In The Woods
Look Away
Feral Roots
Too Bad
Stood By Me
Imperial Joy
All Directions
End of Forever
Shooting Stars