Here’s a question I’d like to pose to you readers: At what point does a band stop being who they say they are? I guess a better way of wording this is how many original or key members does a classic band need to be justified in using their name? This answer varies depending on who you’re talking to and which band is in question. In the case of Nazareth, only bassist Pete Agnew remains from their 70s heyday. That being said, the rest of the lineup has been rather consistent for quite some time. Guitarist Jimmy Murrison has been riffing it up for nearly 30 years. Agnew’s son, Lee, has been holding down the beat since 1999. And stepping in the near impossible to fill shoes of the legendary Dan McCafferty is none other than Persian Risk singer Carl Sentance.
Together, this lineup celebrated 50 years of Nazareth with the release of 2018’s Tattooed on My Brain, the band’s 24th studio album. Although it didn’t come close to the creative heights of Razamanaz (1973), Hair of the Dog (1975), and so on, it did a fine job continuing the band’s rough and ready spirit, one that influenced bands ranging from AC/DC to Guns N’ Roses. The same can be said for their latest studio album, Surviving the Law. There’s no new ground being broken or wheels being reinvented on this 14 song outing, but there sure is a lot of hard and heavy rocking, delivered with attitude and guts.
Aside from the rather modern production, Surviving the Law is faithful to the energetic hard rock Nazareth has specialized in from day one. Cuts like the ballsy “Strange Days”, groove laden “Better Leave It Out”, and rollicking “Waiting for the World to End” are good ol’ fashioned fun, boasting riffs and rhythms that channel the glory days of blues and boogie. Some songs lean a tad on the redundant side (i.e. “Let the Whiskey Flow”, “Ciggies and Booze”), but who cares? This isn’t music that calls for deep thoughtful analysis, such as what I’m attempting to do right now (which makes me a schmuck in the long run). This is music for pounding alcohol, picking up the finest lady at the bar, and dancing the night away.
The only thing that really separates Surviving the Law (and its predecessor for that matter) from past Nazareth output is a slight underlying metallic edge. Perhaps this is because of the inclusion of Sentance? I know Nazareth is one of those bands who will say to their dying day that they were “never” a metal band, and I’m inclined to agree. That said, there’s no way those classic 70s albums didn’t shape the development of the NWOBHM. In coming full circle, the rapid headbanging pace of “Runaway” and “Sinner” sound like a pair of lost NWOBHM 7 inch obscurities, while the anthemic “Mind Bomb” could pass as an Accept or Krokus single.
Instead of complaining that this album doesn’t live up to the glory of past Nazareth releases, I’m simply grateful that Nazareth is even still around and making music to begin with. Next year, they’ll be celebrating their 55th anniversary. Let that sink in for a second. These guys have been making records longer than most of us have been alive. That alone is a feat. I raise my glass to Surviving the Law and Nazareth: hard rock survivors who still got something to prove!
6 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Krokus