Wilson are the gleaming epitome of what rock music should be all about. Not a single fuck given, booze-fuelled, party ready and brimming with swagger and sex, the Michigan-based group are the full package of retro debauchery. The band’s debut ‘Full Blast Fuckery’ paved the way for parties aplenty with their hardcore influenced classic rock sound, and now is set to continue to bring the mayhem with ‘Right To Rise’. It’s going to get sticky.

From the get go it is blatant the main influence that Wilson have drawn on for this release. While still as heated and chaotic, compared to their debut effort ‘Right To Rise’ places itself even more firmly within the classic rock bracket and harks back on the greats for inspiration. The opening title track bustles with heavy basslines and 80’s imagery and ‘Guilty’ incorporates modern electronics with old school riffing and malice. The heat gets turned up pretty swiftly as ‘Crave’ smokes with the kind of stalking sexuality that only rock music can provide while ‘All My Friends’ possesses a riff to make the paint peel from the walls.

The sexiness doesn’t ease up as the album oozes on with ‘The Flood’ bringing the boom in sticky sweet style with an abundance of woah -ohs and guitar licks before ‘Hang With The Devil’ channels Motley Crue with sleazy intentions and sharp basslines. Regardless of everything being turned up to 11, it doesn’t mean ‘Right To Rise’ is not without its flops. ‘I Am The Fly’ falls considerably flat while ‘Waiting For The World’ doesn’t bring any new levels of raging energy to the table. Luckily, things crash out at a considerably melodic and raucous pace with the southern styled onslaught of ‘Before I Burn’. As much as the tunes on ‘Right To Rise’ are a mixed bag, you cannot dispute the passion and lack of awareness of the consequence by the band in their pursuit of rock greatness.

Though it probably could use a little bit more grit in its teeth and fine =-tuning to make it a complete record, ‘Right To Rise’ is the sort of the balls-out free-flowing rock star motherfuckery that we all need every now and then. With no frills attached and bringing classic rock crashing into 2015 with a shot of whisky and pack of smokes in hand, Wilson know where they came from and know exactly where they are going and that doesn’t look set to change any time soon.

3.5/5

Right To Rise by Wilson is out now on Razor & Tie.

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Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)