Rose Tattoo is without any doubt one of the premium Australian cult bands. The band was founded by Peter Wells in 1976 and from the start they made a raw style of blues rock with slide guitars and the unmistakable voice of Angry Anderson. Now 30 years later the band releases their seventh album. This album is also a tribute album to late Peter Wells and Ian Rilen (both musicians died in 2006).

Just like the earlier records Blood Brothers is filled with songs of raw style of blues rock. The album starts with ‘Black Eyes Bruiser’ which was a smashing hit in 1974 (by the Australian band The Easybeats) and is meant as a memorial for Peter Wells. ‘Once In A Lifetime’ is dedicated to late Wells and Rilen. All songs are drenched with raw blues-rock that reminds me of the very early period of AC/DC with a slide guitar in stead of the normal solo guitar.

(‘Man about Time’, ‘Stand over Man’). The raw voices of Angry Anderson fit very well with the bluesy songs. ‘City Blues’ is a great slow blues song, ‘Slipping away’ and ‘Lubricated’ are up-tempo songs. ‘1984’ tells the story of the Eureka-stockade-Rebellion of November 1854, the only armed rebellion in Australian history.

All in one Blood Brothers is a typical Rose Tattoo album, in regard to the earlier albums the band haven’t changed their musical direction, but they just do the thing Rose Tattoo excels, playing raw bluesy songs. With a changed lineup Rose Tattoo sounds powerful and fresh again. The mix and production of Blood Brothers is great, so lets rock.