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Sep 05, 2014 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

Opening to the sound of a gong on “I’m a Vampire,” this Glasgow trio settles in with a spare guitar/bass/drum vamp built to drive on singer/guitarist Dale Barclay, who sounds utterly, violently obsessed by his lyrical concerns.

For their hyper-intense blues sound, Barclay’s chords crash and clang at times with a ferocity that nearly drives the strings off the desired notes (and probably just short of breakage). His vocals are driven by the same roiling core, with lines delivered as though you’re suddenly the recipient of barely veiled threats and unsettling personal revelations, and the bass and drums match him with every ounce of sweat.

There’s a subtle power in the moments where the intensity backs off to just gentle, wordless strums, and the Snakeheads work well at maintaining a balance on their debut album before slamming all the doors and backing you into a corner of the club. “Here It Comes Again” uses (and needs) nothing more than the lyrics of its title to explain. (www.facebook.com/theamazingsnakeheads)

Author rating: 7/10