Gunjack – The Third Impact Review

You’ve heard of rock ‘n’ roll. You’ve heard of black ‘n’ roll. You’ve heard of death ‘n’ roll. But, have you ever heard of drunk ‘n’ roll? Sure you have. If you’ve heard Motörhead, then you know exactly what to expect from a band that says they play drunk ‘n’ roll. It’s the kind of music every party deserves. The kind of music to whip your cock out to and blackout on hobowine filled with shards of broken swords. That’s the kind of “roll” Gunjack plays. But, this Italian threesome ain’t here to break the mold or recreate what Lemmy and co. spent decades creating. Not only does each of their albums sound like Motörhead on steroids, but bassist/vocalist Mr. Messerschmitt sounds exactly like Lemmy,¹ with a tinge of Sodom’s hard-barking Tom Angelripper. And with only five years of Gunjacking under their belt, 2022 sees the band going all-out with their third and biggest album yet. The Third Impact is a fifty-minute beer barrel overflowing with fourteen fucking songs. Open your throat and tap the bunghole—it’s time to get drunk.

Do yourself a favor and skip the weird, cathedral-chanting “Dagon”—which does nothing to properly set the mood—and dive straight into “Blast n’ Roll.” This latter track will get that Motörheadache pounding and have you chanting “blast n’ roll” until the cows come home. Well, probably even after those cows come home. As you can probably guess, there are a fair number of tracks on The Third Impact that “Blast n’ Roll,” few are as memorable. “Twirling on Your Grave” and “Hypnotic Disease” have the energy but lack the sticky taffy chorus of “Black n’ Roll.” The only other track that carries the same punch would have to be the Sodomizing, Aliens-inspired “Nuke to Be Sure.”

The band really shines when it combines addictive choruses with marching riffage and melodic interludes swimming with soaring solos. Case in point, “The Tournament” and “Destroy the Seventh Seal.” “The Tournament” is a heavy, trudging march to death. Along the way, we encounter barking, Brand New Sin-styled backing vocals, and melodic midsection. The latter section is entwined with a barbed-wired solo that feels good, despite the pain. “Destroy the Seventh Seal” is a barebones Motörhead track with a charging chorus that feels like a headbutt to the face. When it picks up speed, the bridge of your nose is surely broken as you lay in a pool of blood and absorb the similar melodic qualities of “The Tournament.”

But, by far, the best tracks are the back-to-back “The Thermopylae” and absurdly titled “Heart of Tank.” The first, if you don’t know, is inspired by the tragic last stand in the great Persian invasion of Greece. It’s a story retold by everyone from Sabaton to Frank Miller’s epic graphic novel, 300. But Gunjack gives it an energy that would have made “The Thermopylae” a perfect addition to Sodom’s M-16. It’s a crushing number that gets better with each transition. “Heart of Tank” takes a 180 spin on its predecessor by unleashing a heavy Motörhead volley and cleverly-arranged vocals to give the riffs purpose and direction.

All-in-all, The Third Impact is a massive undertaking compared to the band’s other two records. But, fourteen tracks are unnecessary, with the filler dampening the album’s impact. Chopping a quarter of the album and removing the mediocre songs would have resulted in much love from Grier. That said, The Third Impact is a fun album, and any Motörhead fan oughta find something here to make them happy.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 128 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: gunjack666.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/gunjack666
Releases Worldwide: February 2nd, 2022