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ROLLERBALL NEW ALBUM!!

Submarine is the new album from Australian rockers Rollerball. Recorded in 5 days at Black Box Studios in Brisbane, Queensland with acclaimed engineer Jeff Lovejoy, the goal of the recording was to capture the intensity & raw power of the Rollerball live experience.
Long regarded as one of the country’s most incendiary live bands, Rollerball are ready to tear the roof off. Sharing stages with stoner legends Queens Of The Stoneage, Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, Budgie & Oz rock royalty The Angels & Rose Tattoo Rollerball are the the real deal.
Take a mix of AC/DC, Kyuss, Blue Oyster Cult & Thin Lizzy & you get a hint of the unique Rollerball sound. Massive riffs, surrealist lyrics, tribal rhythms & pounding grooves, this is hard rock without irony, pastiche or plagiarism. From turbo charged belters, prog mind melters, sing along shanties & epic stoner jams, Submarine is an album that demands to be heard from start to finish.
Prepare to dive.
| ROLLERBALL – Submarine |
Rating: 98%
REVIEW: Rollerball – Submarine

HeavyRock from Australia
Rollerball – Tame Existence
Rollerball play 70′s blues rock that kicks you right in the face with a riff-shoe big enough for most men to get both feet in. This offering ‘Submarine’ (aside from having a THE coolest cover art I have ever seen) opens up with a phsychadelariff that reminds me of Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu in the same moment.
One of the difficulties of making yourself appreciated in the steep gradient and transparent world of rock-song creation is making your songs sound cool, interesting and believable at the same time and Mr Boland, supported by one of the tightest rhythm sections heard so far this year and a guitar tone that screams CRANKED TUBE AMP – ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH sings songs of dirt, frustration and anger with a style that suggests he actually did once lose a submarine in an act of theft – that would really fuck me off if it happened to me.
I love their Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden style of guitar / bass interaction (especially on Seasoar and We Always Slide) as this really gives the 70′s Early 80′s rock vibe a push forward. I was less impressed by the rather pedestrian Tame Existence but was then blown away by the driving relentlessness and palm muted coolness on B-Ray Boogie. I would LOVE to see this song played live at full volume!!!
I was starting to think this record was a bit ‘samey’ and it then was lulled into a false sense of security by the trippy ‘Devil’s Reprise’ which softened me up for the ‘acid in the face from a jealous ex partner’ riff hammering that hit me with Run Aground.
This is a cool record, for fuzz tones they sound like they have relied upon a cranked Marshall – I am not sure if they used fuzz anywhere on this record but my ear has been wrong before.
Reviewed by Jon Davis

Rollerball – Submarine
Time has not diminished the power of one of Brisbane’s finest
After a lengthy five year hiatus from the scene, Brisbane (Queensland) based rock ‘n’ roll outfit Rollerball have finally emerged from the depth of self imposed hibernation to return with their long overdue third full-length outing Submarine.Despite the years between releases (their last being 2004’s highly regarded Oversize), the four piece act (comprising of vocalist Matt ‘Tenpin’ Boland, guitarist Dave Talon, bassist Stew ‘Boots’ Maclennan and drummer Cam ‘Cracker’ Roach) prove they still have what it takes to rock, with Submarine easily the band’s most accomplished and complete recording to date.
Tying in with the album title, the album is opened up with a short instrumental piece entitled Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which sees the band gently open up proceedings with a cool guitar/bass interlude alongside the sounds of crashing waves. As the introduction draws to a close (marked by the sound of the sonar echoes from a submerged submarine), the band fully get things underway with the title track Submarine. Boland’s weathered vocals, Talon’s huge chugging riffs, Maclennan’s ever-present bottom end and Roach’s steady backbeat have always been the backbone of Rollerball’s back to basics rock sound, and it remains the same here, with all of the band’s trademark characteristics out in full force on Submarine.
The first single/promotional video clip Seasoar is an obvious choice as the first cut to announce the band’s return to the scene with its catchy chorus and big galloping riffs, while on Youth Bailed (Back to Hell), the band really pull out some AC/DC inspired riffs, all the while injecting a bit more of a funk vibe (particular in the bass performance toward the tail end) to shake the mix up.
It’s around Your Lullaby that the band show how much their sound has evolved over the years, with the band taking the foot off the accelerator a touch to include some bluegrass sounding violin (courtesy of Like Moller) to counterbalance Boland’s performance on the song’s strong anthem-like choruses, while the straight-forward groove (almost stoner like in some ways) of We Always Slide really is something different sounding from anything else on the album. Following on in the same experimental mood is Tame Existence, where Boland utilises some of the higher end of his range of his vocals to great effect, while the music moves from downright dirty heavy rock to more open end desert rock, with plenty of tribal like influences being drawn out to the fore toward the tail end.
After another brief instrumental piece (The Devil’s Reprise), Rollerball fire things up once again with the two minute blast of Run Aground passing by in a blinding pace, while the infectious B-Ray Boogie is classic rock at not only its most primitive, but also at its catchiest and best.
Finishing up the album is the fifteen minute epic Never a Rodeo, where the band freely jams away on a heavy blues like tune. Talon’s free reign over proceedings ensures that the song never drifts into any real lull throughout its lengthy duration, but restrained enough to allow the other members of the band to contribute at various points throughout the song, before fading out with the sounds of the ocean that initially started off the album.
Album number three from the Brisbane rock ‘n’ roll outfit is by far their most diverse offering to date, but it also stands as one of their strongest and most consistent efforts as well. And while Submarine may have been a long time coming (despite only taking five days to record with acclaimed studio engineer Jeff Lovejoy), Rollerball fans can be assured that the wait has been well and truly worth it.
(+1 Records/Shock Records Distribution)
Added: September 20th 2009
Reviewer: Justin Donnelly
Score: 









Related Link: Official Website
Hits: 309
The submarine surfaced up and the kryptonite green in the cover made me really nervous.Relax man, it’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll and you gonna love it; these Australians managed to put some salt from their surfing boards between the music tabs. Pretty cool, huh? Well,ROLLERBALL have the heavy rock tunes of KYUSS and the same passionate playing in their veins the same that ACDC used to have as newbies. The four mates from Brisbane, Australia are shaking the music waters and urging us in a merciful headbanging with their ultimate effort, “Submarine” and if you’re ready for some well-played heavy summer staff, read the following lines below.
I discovered ROLLERBALL accidentally a couple of months before, when I was searching for new videos in youtube. “We Always Slide” rocked my world and my life was never the same after that; the southern breeze this song brought to my ears, the colorful guitars and the tripping riffage-for-the-road that pumped out the speakers were simply indescribably. Matt’s lazy reading in combination with the pompous guitars, the remarkable bass line leading all the instruments and the sharp, stoned drums make the perfect match and it will be difficult to say ‘no’ to these guys. The beach wave and then the absolute calmness. Till the next one. And the next one. The 55 minutes of “Submarine” are full of moments like these and it’ll not be strange if you see the reef’s edge passing before your eyes. Delusions? Check closer.
The self-titled track holds the appropriate aggression and the bluesy boogie rock mix up the stoner sensations of masters FU MANCHU, while “Youth Bailed (Back To Hell)” seems to be THE ANSWER’s lost track, boiling into some dingy bourbon’s tank.Are you listening, California, out there? The bluesy solos, the loose tunes and the husky voice are the best companion for an easy rider, you know. “B-Ray Boogie” allies to that and “Run Aground” throws a furious fist in your face like MUSTASCH and QOTSAdid successfully few years ago. The final “Never A Rodeo” carries all this vintage rock style and the badass groove through the 15 minutes and Matt’s outbreak is like a vanilla ice cream on our faces; sudden, pure and frank.
If ACDC were born in ‘00s and decided to release a debut album 9 years later, that album would be “Submarine”, underROLLERBALL name. Concluding, I hold the following sayings on ROLLERBALL official web page:


Album number three for Rollerball sees the hard-rocking locals sounding stronger than ever. The influences are glaring, but that’s never really mattered with this band – their scuzzy swagger allows them to get away with a particularly Detroit Rock City-esque riff in the galloping title track. They also convince when they slow down to a hard rock groove such as in the almost funky strut of Youth Bailed (Back To Hell). With such wonderfully knuckleheaded stuff like that, you wouldn’t be out of place for expecting a whole record of denim ‘n leather anthems. But there’s a willingness to explore a range of moods on this record, as Rollerball sound equally powerful in the violin-infused brooding rock of Your Lullaby and the extended desert chugging of Tame Existence. It’s an album where Kiss and Kyuss are musical allies, a point not lost on legions of Australian gig-goers who have caught them firing up pubs and festivals for many years now. Time has allowed them to hone their riff-heavy tunes, which have lost none of their old garagey grit, but have more defined peaks and troughs. It’s proof that a band can sound simultaneously raw and solid as steel. The less patient may balk at the 15 minutes and 39 seconds of Never A Rodeo, but I am one of (I imagine) many who can quite cheerily take in a slowed-down-Steppenwolf psych-metal epic. Luckily, Rollerball also provide plenty of opportunities to boogie.


Time has not diminished the power of one of Brisbane’s finest



ROLLERBALL – (2009) Submarine
There is a lot to be said for getting stuck in and just getting the job done. When you read that the latest long-player from Brisbane rockers Rollerball was recorded in just five days under the watchful eye of producer Jeff Lovejoy, it makes complete sense. No need to water down the band’s powerful sound with frivolous studio tricks and useless overdubs. Lovejoy knows his six-string madness and has brought out the best in the boys.
Drop the needle (or laser) anywhere and you get the goods, the dueling harmonic sparks that fly in Seasoar, the ragged rawk of Run Aground or the rifftastic B-Ray Boogie. This is a band that knows there is power in arriving at the studio with a pocket full of songs, turning the amps up to eleven and getting their groove on.
It isn’t all bombast though as there are also moments of introductory bliss like Devil and the Deep Blue Seaand The Devils Reprise, moments that give you just enough time to catch your breath before you get pummeled again. Then there is the closing track Never a Rodeo, that at over fifteen minutes long gives you ample time to repack the billy, get your head in music mode while it brings it all home like a condensed western. The shadows get longer and longer before the big red ball disappears over the horizon.
Spark one, spin one and dance the night away as Rollerball has your soundtrack needs covered.
Rob Hudson