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Beware when labels come hard selling you ‘classic’ and ‘influential’ bands no one has ever heard of. The passage of time has given some forgotten groups much lucked out relevancy, but label heads are just out there gawking for the opportunity, pumping ideas where deservedly so bands were left in quest, constantly seeking positive tidbits to attach to crappy aural mediocrity and justify ten reissues. To the shallow listener and the big skeptic, JPT Scare Band could fall under all that. They have been hailed by reputable media like Classic Rock Magazine as ‘one of the lost pioneers of heavy metal’, and yet, I hear nothing metal around here. We are obliged to pay attention. If not for the quote, then just out of sheer curiosity.
I was actually in the know of JPT Scare band because I used to frequent a small webzine that talked a great deal about this band. I can’t remember where but I ended up downloading a couple of their albums. I revisited them every now and then whenever my Ipod gave this trio a chance but little stayed in my cortex. I vaguely remember poorly recorded long and dragged songs, mystically sparkled by awesome bouts of soulful shredding. But the songs themselves weren’t much. Only the guitars were worth the spin and their weight in plastic.
The good folks at Ripple Music are releasing a collection of unreleased tracks, jams and covers under the title Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden. To say that it is a mixed bag of peanuts is to give almonds and the likes a bad rep. There are occasions when JPT Scare Band are just on fire. This usually come via the guitars of Terry Swope. Here is the unsung string hero. The man can shred and his fingers are capable of pushing the feeling out of a dead nazi. Like seriously, his solos are awesome. Unfortunately, some of these songs are dreadful.
Second to none starting from the bottom up is the second track “Not My Fault”, a sucky bar band creation that couldn’t be salvaged by Hendrix on his best night. The first song “Long Day” ain’t much better. It has aged as well as the suits on Miami Vice but Swope’s virtues flourish here and hence, the song is enjoyable. Other songs float the wide range, making Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden quite the uneven experience at best and above average, if we feel like being benevolent. At least in a few tracks the band does justice to the claims of blues and psychedelia as in “Death Letter 2001” and “Stone House Blues” two crude blues jam that redefine the phrase ‘stripped down’.
Official Site
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