I recently "obtained" a copy of Silver Spoons & Broken Bones, the first (and currently only) studio album by Stone Gods, and have given it quite a few listens over the past couple days.  For those who don't know who the Stone Gods are, here's the simplified formula:

Stone Gods = 3/4 * The Darkness + 3 semi-random guys


I've read a few blurbs about the album and apparently British rock reviewers are creaming, pissing, and shitting themselves over this record.  From reading the reviews, you'd think that Stone Gods just put out the equivalent of Back In Black.  The only guess I have is either those reviewers are smoking some ridiculously amazing stuff or the rock output of England has dwindled to a trickle, because the album is not that phenomenal.  Don't get me wrong, it's a good, solid rock album, but I'd hesitate to even call it great.  I'll also mention this up front:  don't expect a reincarnation of The Darkness, because you will be disappointed.

In my last post, I said that I wasn't too impressed by the big single "Don't Drink The Water".  Well, the song has actually grown on me after repeated listenings, so I hereby retract my initial opinion.  However, the video sucks; it's like watching the band perform through the eyes of a flying insect with A.D.D.:



My one problem with the song is that there are a couple parts that completely rip off The Who.  The verse at 2:00 sounds eerily similar to Baba O'Riley and the last line of the song ("We won't come here again!") is the same melody and almost the same words as "We won't get fooled again!".  That's too close for comfort in my book.

At times, you can hear a bit of The Darkness in the sound of Stone Gods, but not a ton.  Stone Gods frontman Richie Edwards (former guitar tech and bassist for The Darkness) has a gritty, punkish voice that doesn't carry a lot of range or melody, in definite contrast to the vocal acrobatics of former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins.  Likewise, you won't hear as much of the flamboyant guitar solos that made The Darkness so fantastic; the songs on this album are more straightforward (but there are some good licks here and there).

Criticisms aside, the album has a good sound and the instrumentation is quite decent.  In terms of the general sound, the one song that stands out is "Magdalene Street", which is actually a bit reminiscent of a Beatles song (if the Beatles were playing modern punk/rock and John Lennon had smoked two packs a day for a few decades).  By far, the two best songs on the album are "I'm With The Band" (a guilty pleasure of rock life) and "Start Of Something".  The latter is my new favorite song these days, as I've played it at least two dozen times in the past two days.  The song has a great mood that actually captures the joy of the "start of something" new and exciting, which everyone can relate to.  And, given the recent political developments in this country, the song is actually quite appropriate today.

Overall, I disagree with other reviews of this album that I've read, but I still recommend that everyone listen to it at least once.  What with the frequent lineup changes and recent medical problems plaguing the band, this album could be the only output of Stone Gods, so you might as well take a chance on them while you still can.