Inspiration for the title of Rye Coalition’s fourth album is found in the luckless four year gap since their last release, 2002’s critically lauded On Top. The Jersey City quintet must have felt snakebit-on-a-plane after their brass ring deal with DreamWorks turned into a flaming bag of shit on Interscope’s merger porch. Thankfully, Rye Coalition gave their clichéd rock industry horror story a blissful ending by preemptively cutting their label loose and taking their album with them. Wise move, as it would have been a shame for a hard rock monolith as potent as Curses to linger in legal limbo for even a moment. Rye Coalition have always infused their sound with twin influences, the thunderous appeal of ’70s icons like Kiss, Thin Lizzy and AC/DC and the post punk urgency of Jesus Lizard and Shellac. On Curses, Rye Coalition hews closer to their classic tendencies under the tutelage of producer Dave Grohl, whose spirit guides them through a blister-inducing set of scorching, anthemic rock, from the Kiss army march of “Cocaine Werewolf� and “Burn the Masters� to the AC/DC crash test soundtrack of “Pussyfootin’� to the Lynott-fueled “Young Yellers.� Frontman Ralph Cuseglio howls with the hybridized conviction of Paul Stanley, Fee Waybill and Greg Dulli, while guitarists Jon Gonelli and Herbert Wiley V riff with classic abandon and the sinewy rhythm section of bassist Justin Morey and drummer David Leto create a Zep-like bedrock for it all. Rye Coalition makes it wicked cool to love guitar rock again.
Brian Baker
Release date: April 18, 2006
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