OVERWEIGHT

Anyone remember Mammoth? The rock/metal band consisting of obese Brits including ex-Gillan/Samson members whose best known song was titled 'Fatman' and their primary gimmick was that every band member was...well, just plain fat. No? Well, that's what I presumed I had on my hands here with Belgian act Overweight. I presumed wrong as a quick glance at some press shots on the band's website reveals they are, in fact, not in the slightest bit overweight. So misleading band names aside, these five Belgians play up tempo ska-punk of the variety that makes you want to dance around like a carefree idiot from the first bar of the first song. 'Eric' is an impressive opening to what is the band's debut full length album, although second song, 'Ship of Anarchy', ups the ante with an almost gypsy punk vibe à la Gogol Bordello fused with Levellers' style folk-infused punk sounds. However, commencing an album so strongly (aka. positioning your best tracks at the start), has the expectation and danger that subsequent material has to maintain such a high quality established so early on. On this point, Overweight fail...kind of. Not emphatically so as while they sustain the energy, infectious melodies and up tempo dynamic of the album's first two tracks, the songwriting lapses into more generic territory and becomes gradually less engaging, save for the occasional number such as the instantly likeable 'I Cannot Manage It Today' and the ska-biased 'Should I...'. That said, and despite inconsistencies in the songwriting, 'The World For Sale' remains a pretty engaging listen throughout, with trombone and trumpet deployed efficaciously over guitar riffs and the up tempo rhythm section of some adeptly performed drums and bass. Gert Thielemans' vocals also remind me of Flo V. Schwarz from long defunct German alt-rockers Pyogenesis' latter day output - very smooth in tone but still with a punky edge, a definite strength of Overweight's overall sound. 'The World For Sale' is definitely worth checking out, and hopefully the Belgian quintet can iron out some of the inconsistencies for a sophomore album and build on the promise they have shown here on their debut.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Self-released

Album

THE WORLD FOR SALE

Review by Mark Holmes

RUNNING TIME:

39:01

RELEASE DATE:

14th February 2011

TRACK LISTING

1) Eric
2) Ship of Anarchy
3) Tonight Is Mine
4) Come Out Now!
5) Don't Be An Idealist
6) I Cannot Manage It Today
7) Should I...
8) Not a Good Day
9) Rollercoaster
10) Back In Town

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Belgium

"...up tempo ska-punk of the variety that makes you want to dance around like a carefree idiot from the first bar of the first song."