The Datsuns – The Datsuns

Not since the likes of AC/DC and Deep Purple has rock music been so cool. Hailing from small town New Zealand, The Datsuns are four blokes who like their jeans tight, their hair long and their metal heavy.

Composed of growling riffs, desperately screamed lyrics and whining guitar solos, The Datsuns’ music harks very much back to the’70s ethos of fast, mean and filthy. Opener Sittin’ Pretty, with its charging guitar lines, states the intention clearly – glam meets Born To Be Wild.

MF From Hell sees them plowing their favourite musical furrow, hefty AC/DC-mold riffs complete with obligatory Angus Young-esque guitar solo, a huge and completely un-ironic finger to the world.

A veritable biker bar of unadulterated rock’n’roll energy, The Datsuns is one epic after another, each trying to out-rock the one that came before. Harmonic Generator stomps along with autonomous female backing vocals while What Would I Know and single I’m In Love have their feet planted firmly back in pulsing AC/DC territory.

All written with a completely straight face and with tongue firmly out of cheek, it’s a testament to the kind of music that noise was invented for – abused amps and drum kits beaten to within an inch of their life.

After years hidden away in the NZ wilderness, The Datsuns aren’t making this racket for any other reason apart from because they love it. And what a damn fine racket it is.