Danko Jones – “Fire Music”

Twelve albums and almost two decades into their career it would seem Danko Jones have no intention of taking their foot off the pedal.

With their latest album Fire Music, the Toronto trio continue to do what they have done so effectively over the years: pump out straight up high energy rock. Whilst they are hardly dipping into uncharted waters they are clearly a band at the top of their game and appear to be thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process.

Opener ‘Wild Woman‘ isn’t exactly treading new ground in the songwriting department but nonetheless makes for a feisty introduction. Likewise ‘Do You Wanna Rock?‘ is in the same boat of frequently used rock cliches but still emerges as frivolous and entertaining.

Where Danko Jones truly shine is in their application of dark humour. The bellicose tension of ‘Gonna Be A Fight Tonight‘ (“if one side says its down and white, the other says its up and black”) is both intimidating and smile inducing. Also achieving this goal is album highlight, the vengeful virulence of ‘Body Bags‘. Delivered at a frantic pace and containing such lyrical gems as “I cover them with white sheets, stuff them in the back seat”, Danko Jones comes across as a man you best not provoke.

Then there is ‘Getting Into Drugs‘. ‘I want to save the world and fuck in toilet stalls” is very much in gold medal contention for the best line on the album.

Catching us slightly off guard, it is now power ballad time in the form of ‘I Will Break Your Heart‘. After the death, drugs and violence, a sprinkle of cheesy respite is welcome.

Hearing the energy and cohesion here on Fire Music, it is easy to see how these guys have galavanted around the globe with the likes of Motörhead and Guns N Roses.

Powerful, raw and fun Fire Music packs a lot into it’s thirty six minutes.

Best enjoyed at neighbour irritating volume.

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Gavin Stocker

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Outside of Across The Ocean Gavin Stocker writes, records and performs music under the moniker of P Truck.

He can also be found clinging to his youth on a skateboard or wandering aimlessly through the bush.