The Limit – Caveman Logic Review

I’m not the biggest fan of the so called “super group” or “all star collaboration.” Nine times out of ten these end up pointless vanity projects with little to recommend them beyond the cast of players. Are there exceptions? Sure, that’s why I said NINE out of ten. The Limit definitely qualifies as a super group, featuring members of Pentagram (Bobby Liebling) and 70s punk icons The Stooges (Jimmy Recca) and Testors (Sonny Vincent). In an effort to pay homage to the 70s punk scene the members cut their teeth in, Caveman Logic is a collection of hard charging garage rock tunes with a pronounced punk attitude. Simple, catchy and with a palpable “F_ck you!” demeanor, these are straight ahead anthems of rebellion and odes to disassociation by a bunch of really old dudes who’ve lived outside the lines of what’s considered traditional and normal. With such influential artists involved, you hope for a good showing, and a good show is here to be had. Age before beauty!

Opener “Over Rover” sets the table perfectly, sounding like a rowdy mashup of Pentagram and the sleazy barroom rock of MC5 and the New York Dolls. It’s authentic and genuine enough to make me feel like I’m stuck back in 1975 in some NYC dive cub and should probably order a double Jim Beam and get my back against the nearest wall. Album single “Black Sea” is a more epic merger of punk and hard rock carried by Bobby Liebling’s trademark vocals and a raucous guitar attack led by Sonny Vincent. It almost sounds like a lost song by The Doors with Misfits era Danzig on vocals, and that is pretty damn cool. “These Days” is like Pentagram with a ratcheted up punk sound, and “Kitty Gone” shoehorns in a bit of George Thorogood boogie blues to enhance the sleazy punk rock.

There’s a big dose of Motörhead on “Life’s Last Night” that makes me want to chug crappy beer and throw the bottle at someone deserving, and “When Life Gets Scorched” is a rousing, chest thumping cut The Ramones might have penned in their day. At a tight 37 minutes, you get 12 short, dirty cuts, and for the most part they’re enjoyable and interesting throwback pieces done with a infectious enthusiasm. The last two tracks, “Death of My Soul” and “Enough’s Enough” are fine but a bit less compelling than their peers, and though I quite enjoy the super catchy “Fleeting Thoughts” and its old guys complaining about modern days schtick¹, it runs about a minute too long.

The performances from the senior brigade are quite impressive. Bobby hasn’t sung on a Pentagram album since 2015’s Curious Volume, and I was unsure if we would ever hear from him again. He looks like death warmed over in the videos for this thing, but his voice is surprisingly spry and energetic, at times reminding me of the earliest Pentagram platters. His vocals have a very lived in, seasoned timbre and he sounds like someone who has seen it all, which is appropriate for a living doom legend. New York punk scene mainstay Sonny Vincent shares vocal time and also sounds quite youthful and battle ready. His signature guitar sound is all over the album and instantly recognizable and there are a lot of nifty little riffs and flourishes scattered through these caveman rockers. The respected elders receive some able support from several members of modern Portuguese doom metal band Dawnrider, and the whole crew brings the piss and vinegar quite admirably.

I came in not sure what to expect from The Limit, but Caveman Logic left me happily surprised. It’s not a year end list maker, but it is a greasy, rowdy good time with a real sense of history and time-tested authenticity behind it. Super groups rarely deliver this much entertainment, but this crew’s combined years in the biz helped them beat the odds. The 70s are back, and they want to punch you in the head and drink your beer. Embrace it.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Svart
Website: the-limit.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: April 9th, 2021