LYNCH MOB / REBEL AMISH RADIO

Daytona's; Riviera Beach, Maryland; 12/09/99

Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter

Rebel Amish Radio might as well be the house band for Daytona's - Rebel Amish Radio have secured the Thursday night slot at the venue and they are using it to their full advantage.

Rebel Amish Radio was breaking in their new bassist and he complements the band very well (I never did get his name, though - sorry, RAR!).  Rebel Amish Radio played as tight as you'd expect them to be, but there was an odd mix of a sense of urgency and comfort in the band this evening.  This led to a revved up and confident performance.

As of this evening's performance Rebel Amish Radio have the number one song on garageband.com - that's fantastic considering there are over 20,000 songs to pick from!  Undoubtedly this good news has a lot to do with the band's collective happiness these days.  This is further proof that we'll be hearing more from the band (hopefully on a national scale) in the future. 

The band Neurotica, which has played a few shows with Lynch Mob lately, showed up hoping to get on the bill.  Alas, it was not to be.  It would have been cool to see Neurotica perform, especially since their latest CD "Life In Dog Years" has been getting rave reviews lately.

The new incarnation of Lynch Mob is a hard rock/funk/rap-metal mutation.  The "Smoke This" CD is decent, but the real proof is whether or not the band can pull it off live.  And the verdict is in - the new Lynch Mob translates much better in the live setting than it does in the studio.  Knowing that the band wants to make another record and seeing tonight's performance give me hope that Lynch Mob will regain their rightful place in the hard rock and heavy metal realm. 

Personally, I think the fan reaction to Lynch Mob's new direction is a bit misguided.  This is clearly a band intent on taking a new direction in hard rock - yes, it does incorporate the rap/metal sound of the late '90s, but let's give credit were credit is due.  The new Lynch Mob is not a pale imitation of Korn or Limp Bizkit - this is not an incarnation of the "cock-rock" that is so pervasive these days.  Lynch Mob have taken a hard rock foundation, added the '90s flavor to it, kept the best elements of the '80s intact, and added a bit of the sly nature of '70s funk to keep the new combination rolling. 

Kirk Harper's vocal versatility has added a new dimension to Lynch Mob - the craziness he added to "Kiss Of Death" was as cool as it was unsettling.  Mark Simpson, taking on the heroic task of playing rhythm guitar, provides a beefy punch to the Lynch Mob sound - the solid rhythmic effort allowed George Lynch to play off a guitar foundation rather than just the bass and drums.  Gabe Rosales, the talented bass prodigy, brought limitless energy and attitude to the stage - there's nothing like an influx of young talent to keep a veteran like George Lynch on his toes.  Clancy McCarthy and his suave drumming injects a funky swagger to the Lynch Mob sound - Clancy's fresh approach has allowed George Lynch to further explore his guitar playing abilities. 

The trademark George Lynch sound is still evident in nearly every song and lick.  This was completely evident late in the set when the band ripped into fan-favorite "Mr. Scary."  Simpson, Rosales, and Lynch formed a tight circle next to the drum riser and Lynch was 'en feugo!' To hear this song twelve years after it was set loose upon the world in a faithful, yet blistering version, was a great treat. 

Old Dokken songs like "Tooth And Nail" and "It's Not Love" were well received.  A couple of older Lynch Mob songs ("River Of Love" and "Wicked Sensation") shared the spotlight.  Conspicuously absent from the set were any songs from the self-titled sophomore effort; I really liked this disc - oh well, maybe next time.  The new material was hit and miss as some songs seemed a bit forced, but "Hype-O," "Smoke This," and "Chromeplated" showed the band in a comfort zone that allowed the music to flow.

Lynch Mob, as a musical vehicle, keeps pushing Lynch's vitality and vibrancy.  For those of you who have abandoned the band, you are missing out on a set of high-energy songs.  George Lynch is committed to keeping this line-up together for at least one more disc - we all can anticipate some more creativity from the Lynch Mob.

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Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:56 -0400.