ROLLERBALL
Submarine
(Plus One/Shock)
Rollerball’s Submarine is something of a surprising record. One of the more promising rock outfits to emerge from the city’s underground in recent years, Rollerball have nevertheless distinguished themselves throughout their career as belligerent hard rock leviathans with a gleefully violent sound that embodied the truly timeless appeal of the phrase “shit-kicking rock’n’roll” and have always taken particular pride in their ability to deliver that sound with charismatic rawness. Submarine, however, finds the band revealing a taut and muscular focus many would have considered beyond their capacity.
One needn’t be alarmed – Rollerball still excel at delivering rambunctious, swaggering rock music – but Submarine possesses a level of clarity and cohesion that completely contrasts the band’s image as party-friendly lugs. The precision of the band’s musicianship (particularly the tautly focussed rhythm section Cam Roach and Stew MacLennan) is laudable on swinging numbers like ‘Submarine’ and mid-paced work-outs like ‘Youth Bailed’, while even bellowing vocalist Matt Boland reveals a considerably sophisticated grasp of dynamics with memorable numbers like ‘We Always Slide’. The band’s advancements, meanwhile, are chronicled beautifully by the gorgeous work of Brisbane production legend Jeff Lovejoy.
While a surprisingly precise listen, the record is nonetheless a hugely successful record and one could imagine it succeeding with a myriad of demographics. There’s a definite hint that Rollerball had a great deal personally invested in this record and were determined to release their absolute best work and, somehow, the band’s focus delivered precisely what they were looking for in a release. The pedants will inevitably miss the grittier, ephemeral charm of the band’s earlier efforts but the honest won’t be able to deny Submarine’s strengths. One can only hope the record reaches the audience it so richly deserves.
HHHH   James Barlow

ROLLERBALL

Submarine (+1 Records)

It’s late Friday night in the Valley, a siren undulates in the distance, a flanno clad punter draws on a tatty White Ox cigarette, exhales, and rasps “The ‘Ball is back“.

For those who came in late:

Rollerball are the local masters of a retro-form, stoner-rock style that melds jammy, riff-laden early grunge with explicit vintage rock influences and badass grooves. After a lengthy hiatus Submarine puts Rollerball back behind the wheel (or should I say the tiller) with an absolutely mind snapping release that takes the reviewer back to when Back in Black thrilled rockpigs with a similar stratospheric shift into high gear. There’s finesse, dynamism, continuity and reprise along with sonic artifacts not encountered in prior Rollerball releases. For all this they’re still as bold as bollocks.

This is Rollerball-deluxe with a cherry on top. Recorded in just 5 days at Black Box studios Brisbane it’s their best sounding album to date and mastered very LOUD.

From the rolling surf intro into the spooky fade-in guitar/bass motif there’s a sense of journey from the outset. The title track breaks the spell with a rollicking kick-arse rocker laying down the rules for what’s to follow and showing that engineer Jeff Lovejoy sure knows how to record a guitar (bless his heart). ‘Seasoar’ is an obvious pick for radio play (check out the video on YouTube). ‘Youth Bailed (Back to Hell)’ has guitarist Dave Talon channeling the brothers Young with some of the most guttural power chordage ever heard outside a Mutt Lange production then rounding it off with a treacle thick woman tone solo.

‘Your Lullaby’ surprises with a rootsy, southern fiddle dovetailed into a piece that’s as powerful as a leftover from Zeppelin II.‘Tame Existence’ has a stealthy, brooding beauty that wanders off nicely into the jungle. The closing track ‘Never a Rodeo’ is a funereal epic that despite its length is still engaging to the very end and suggests the subliminality and restraint of the late, great Free before pummeling its way home via some entrancing interplay from the rhythm section.

As good as this is in terms of a collective effort for me the outstanding trademark is singer Matt Boland who is surely one of the most compelling and identifiable rock voices in the Antipodes. Top marks also for the cover art and concept. Check out their website for a list of their remaining gigs and catch the ‘Ball before they go back into hibernation.

(Julian Endsleigh)