Mark “Porkchop” Holder- Death and the Blues (Alive Natural Sound 0195-2)

I quite dug Mark’s last record but I have to admit it was a bit hard for me to get into where as this new one, just kicked me in the ass from the start and I was hooked!!!!  The album features 11 blues rocking tracks played with a lot of gusto and attitude. The album starts off with Captain Captain, an uptempo slide guitar driven foot stompin’ track with some harmonica as well. Sad days and Lonely Nights keeps the pace uptempo with a nice solid bass line over which Mark plays a nice longer than normal solo. This sort of darker song leads into Coffin Lid (hear below), features a really dirty fuzzy slide guitar and tells a good story as well. Big Boat slows things down at the start and kicks in hard and heavy with some more mean slide guitar about shoveling coal on the river! Nobody wants to Cry is just Mark on a steel guitar and slide pouring his gritty heart out.  Be Righteous is a slow starter and happier track that kicks into high gear after a mins and rocks out. Bless me Santasima is a short instrumental guitar track. Billy the Kid has another cool bass groove and tells the story over this more country track. Totally different than the previous tracks. James Leg is a short track about fellow label mate, james Leg and his drinking! What is wrong with your Mind has Mark mix in a delay pedal to his slide guitar arsenal for a bit more psychedelic sound. The title track ends this good time blues rocking album. Crank it out LOUD.  I really dug this album. Great songs.

http://www.alive-records.com

https://markporkchopholdermph.com/