After the album Dernière Salve (Last Salvo, N.dT.) from 2005, we are happy to notice that this old gat got only blocked. CALIBRE 12 backfires again, a firework shining brightly for a southern boogie still nourished with Skynyrd Hatchet Point Blank ZZ Top influences but, new fact, we can feel a beautiful Allman Bros singsong as well as a perfect cohesion due to the original line-up from the first album A Bout Portant (… Point Blank ! N.dT.) dating 1998, namely on the six string John Molet and Jean-Marie Coron, on bass Laurent Montero, on drums Jean-Luc Gautier and on vocals Patrice Leblanc, and as guests a keyboard player and an harmonicist to use firearms on this fourteen titles strong Whiskey sans Glace (Whiskey without Ice, N.dT.), full of southern boogie, pissed, generous, without compromise, dry like a « Whiskey sans Glace », eponymous title that opens the opus, bachanalian tune with a first style Hatchet rhythm, where Doc Leblanc recommands an only anti-pain for soul bruises : the dry whiskey without iceberg. Then tumbles a « Tant Pis Pour Moi », that sounds like a pure Calibre 12, afterwards the guys from Tours (a town in the center of France, N.dT.) cross the Rio Grande to soak up Topian riffs, on « Ça Va Morfler d’Enfer ». Some very good swamp music comes with the tune « Dans le Milieu de la Nuit », well runny (Ronnie ?) in a style dear to Skynyrd. We go on with « Fille de Rêve », a bouncing boogie, to reach « Big John Boogie », « Alors Pars », and « Vie Conventionnelle » that also work very well. Then arrives the bullet right in the forehead on « Rendez moi mon Soleil », intro four-stroke engine, then start in the way of « Good Clean Fun », from the Allman Bros, but more quick and sharp, with harmony guitars, organ contribution : nothing is forgotten in this grand boogie that talks about the dangerous servitudes of the life that eclipse our sun.

The rest is still in the southern rock boogie style where Calibre 12 doesn't hesitate to put all into it. Difficult not to stomp the feet when listening this skeud driven by rhythm in the rough and an uncommun strength, but between a rock and a hard place you can find a gem, « Le Ciel peut Attendre », whose subtlety of rendition is worthy of interest, a mid-tempo southern psyche with sea rote in intro, polished by gorgeous guitars with melodies sounding Allman Bros. I knew this tune composed by John in an instrumental version, it was possible to listen to it on MySpace some months ago. A big idea to have set lyrics on it, it remains me the recent « Where Do You Turn » from the Texas City Revelators. Southern rock boogie's enthusiasts, this hurly-burly of good vibrations and juicy guitars is waiting only for you.

Jacques Dersigny