One of my favourite albums from 2014 was Full Throttle by Aussie rock band Massive. As a debut album it was sensational. But how do you follow such an impressive start?

The answer’s easy- you tour, you write, you enjoy a beer or two, you play till you bleed, you get back in the studio and you do it all again….only better! And that’s what these road dogs have done.

Massive’s second studio album, Destination Somewhere, is released on 22 April on Earache Records. Hailing from Melbourne, for those of you who aren’t familiar with these boys yet, Massive are Brad Marr on lead vocals and guitar, Aidan McGarrigle on bass and backing vocals and Jarrod Medwin on drums and backing vocals. There’s been one change in the band’s line up since 2014 with the band’s original guitarist being replaced by Brendan Forward. It’s a dynamic combination of talent!

Destination Somewhere opens with One For The Road. Gentle hi hats then BANG! Riff heavy, with searing vocals and a strong chorus, this is an awesome start to this ten track record and an instant reminder of just how good these boys are. “There’s a new day coming. A chaos about to ignite.”

Don’t say you weren’t warned, folks!

There’s an air of maturity to this album that demonstrates just how far Massive have come in the past two years. Full Throttle was just that – pedal to the metal, good, sleazy RnFnR all the way but this one is more controlled, almost delicate in places.

There’s not a bad track on here. Each and every one brings something different to the table – or should that be bar, boys?

Second track is Blood Money Blues although once you get past the outstanding vintage blues intro, there’s not much blues to this track. The cow bells are back!  Perhaps a hint of an SMKC influence to these? One of my favourite tracks from the record. Fabulous guitar solo. Awesome vocals. Can’t wait to hear this live! (Hint! Hint!)

The longest track on the album is Sinking Ship. Loosely based around a miserable but memorable trip to Tasmania, this one brings another dimension to the album. Was that a little country vibe about 30 seconds in? I think it was. Brilliant!

Track four, The Fall, is perhaps the heaviest song on here. Soaring riff. Huge chorus. Instantly head bobbing. Adore the timbre to Brad’s vocal on the slower sections and the tone of Aidan’s bass is sweet. Dark and sleazy rock at its finest.

Perhaps the most radio friendly track on Destination Somewhere is Made of Stone. Brad Marr describes this as “our movie soundtrack song off the album. It’s not a ballad but it’s definitely more cruising than the others.” Think Days of Thunder, Tom Cruise and long open highways at sunset. Epic song!

Title track Destination Somewhere sums this band up. These guys cover more miles than you could ever dream possible, practically living in their van. Jarrod Medwin declares that this song has “probably my favourite chorus ever in Massive.” He also confessed to a little studio trickery, having recorded a double drum track for the intro. We’ll forgive him. This is a real feel good rock anthem. Another classic track.

The Way Its Always Been has a honky tonk bar feel to it. Love the effect used on the vocal track on this one. And is that more than a hint of blues here, guys? Great song and another great chorus.

Beaten Dog brings proceedings to a close. Love the mournful guitar intro with the subtle acoustic track over it. Filled with raw emotion, this is my personal favourite on the record. (well, for today it is because I love them all) The guitar solo two minutes in is stunning – mournful, depressed but not wailing. Beautifully executed. “Even a beaten dog gonna have its day.”

There’s nothing beaten about these Aussie boys. Destination Somewhere is a fantastic rock album and deserves to be regarded as one of THE releases of 2016.

It may be titled Destination Somewhere but these hardworking rockers deserve to destined for the very top. Hopefully all their hard work and dedication will pay dividends and see Massive being massive worldwide in 2016.

10/10

Thanks to Dan H from Earache for the promo copy.