If you’re not already familiar with Bokassa, then the Warriors wannabe wielding a flail and firing a a machine gun while riding a pink pegasus on the cover of their brilliantly titled new album Molotov Rocktail should give a pretty good indication of what you’re in for. If not, then the NoFX and Motörhead shirts brandished by the band in the video for it’s outstanding lead single “Careless (In The Age Of Altruism)”, should do the trick. If you still need ore convincing, or just want to delve deeper into the band’s impeccable taste, then check out some more of their influences below and be sure to pick up a copy of Molotov Rocktail when it comes out this Friday.
Olav Dowkes (drums)
Clutch – Blast Tyrant (2004)
A great album from end to end that has some of Clutch’s best songs, and the production is just jaw-dropping. You are hooked already from the first notes you hear on the opening song “Mercury” and from there the band takes you through weird and surreal landscapes and lyrical themes until the album ends. Produced and mixed by the always awesome MACHINE, who has done great things with Lamb of God, King Crimson and The Bronx, and of course mixed Molotov Rocktail as well. Blast Tyrant’s sound is something to be in awe of. I love all of Clutch’s albums, but if I had to choose just one, this would be it.
Jørn Kaarstad (guitar/vocals)
Bad Religion – The Process Of Belief (2002)
After a handful of albums on a major label without founding member Brett Gurewitz, Bad Religion returned to Epitaph with Mr. Brett back in the lineup and drum virtuoso Brooks Wackerman (now of Avenged Sevenfold) behind the kit. An energetic explosion of a record and a really impressive one as well considering this was the bands twelfth record. Process Of Belief kickstarted a return to form for Bad religion that really revitalized them and went on throughout the 2000s. An album filled with great hooks, tasty leads, excellent lyrics and fantastic melodies from Greg Graffin’s soaring vocals. One of my favorites of theirs [mine too – Josh].
Bård Linga (bass)
Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf (2002)
This album went the next step in refining the stoner rock sound and it has a really pleasant blend between that thick and distorted sound, great melodies and catchy riffs all the way through. It’s got a great sense of balance weaving between the noisy balls-out rock sections and the straight up beautiful melodic sections, and it displays a great sense of songwriting coherency from start to finish. This had just come out when I started getting into music and has served as an important early influence for me as well as being a staple of the Bokassa road trip soundtracks.
Collective Pick
Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion II (1991)
How do you top what many consider to be the best debut album of all time (not counting GnR Lies (1988))? You release an epic double album that’s how – one that both explores new sounds and genres, but at the same time cements the band in the rock/hard-rock genre forever. Of the two Use Your Illusion albums, Bokassa prefer the second. It has some rockin’ bangers like “Get In The Ring”, “You Could Be Mine” and “Pretty Tied Up”, but also more emotional songs like “Civil War” and “Estranged”. It would be the perfect album, if Axl just hadn’t tried to do his take on hip hop as an album closer.
Molotov Rocktail comes out September 3, through Napalm Records