An adventurous if inconsistent band, California’s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club explored classic rock, noise-punk, shoegaze, Americana and Britpop throughout the 2000s. In spite of the trio’s creativity, BRMC never seemed to sculpt a real identity for itself—that is, until 2010’s game-changing Beat the Devil’s Tattoo, where guitarist Peter Hayes and bassist Robert Levon Been finally figured out how to distill their wildly eclectic influences into a seamless psychedelic whole. Though misfortune struck the group shortly after that album’s release (Michael Been, Robert’s father and the band’s sound man, died of a heart attack during a 2010 tour), BRMC decided to soldier on, drawing strength from the devastating loss and adding a newfound emotional fervor to this year’s bold, fearless Specter at the Feast.
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