Nick Amling & The Lifeline are not here to give you watered down rock. No, far from it. This is a band that wants your jeans to be shivering with their opening riff. You don’t have to worry about your night going well when these guys are the soundtrack to it. This is their latest EP, Roll The Dice.
Take the chance, what’s the worst that can happen. Everyone loves the probability of rolling a die, checking your fate. No matter how big the losing is, there is hope of winning it too. Creatures opens Nick Amling & The Lifeline on the payroll, and they immediately bring the gearbox to 5. The riff is hot lava, and it has that Jack White riff swing to it that we all love so much. Andy Baker brings the beats with a catchy rhythm, and Nick Amling ensures the feel grows from warm to red-hot.
I think we needed to go drop D. I’m not great at guitar, but I know how to make a stank face when I hear a great riff. As there is no recovery but to strike through, that is what had to be done with Give Me Nothing. Mr. Morello would be proud, Nick. Open challenge, if you’re a fan of rock or not, you’re headbanging to this. The song was on loop for quite some time, and already gets the award for the best song on the album. This is before I heard what was coming next.
So Long brings a galloping tune which would be your race car montage track. It is a great swing which also has some catchy lyrics. I haven’t been able to focus on the lyrics because of Nick Amling & The Lifeline creating such deep setting grooves.
We finally reach the title track with Roll the Dice. Another smashing riff, another addictive song. Mace and nutmeg pickers know exactly, to the day, when to pick the fruit. Nick Amling is the same with this EP. Every song is nothing but top shelf rock, and there is no substandard B side music put in as a filler for an album. One of the best rock EPs I’ve heard in 2 years. A more emotional essence comes in with Midnight Emotion. Nick Amling & The Lifeline pay tribute to some of the great rock tones and how the spirit of the genre will always stay alive.
I would dedicate this EP to an entire season of Sons of Anarchy, but I don’t want repeats. So season 2, ep 3 gets all of this music. Nick Amling and Andy Baker have delivered baked perfection. Nothing will take that away from them. Godspeed and good luck gentlemen, now to show the road how much you rock.