confederacy of horsepower

CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER-VAGABOND CABARET. CD REVIEW

"SLEAZY BIKER REBEL ROCK THAT OUTRIGHT REFUSES TO WASH BEHIND IT'S EARS.!!..ALL BANDANAS AND UNSIGHTLY NECK TATTOOS, CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER SOUND ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE THEY LOOK. CRANKING OUT A GREASY BRAND OF REVVED-UP, STRIPPED DOWN BIKER ROCK THAT WOULD NO DOUBT SPIT IN YOUR EYE, STEAL YOUR PANTS AND CALL YOU A BIG GIRL'S BLOUSE IF IT COULD. PRODUCED BY THE ALMIGHTY'S RICKY WARWICK AND FEATURING A COVER OF ZODIAC MINDWARP'S HIGH PRIEST OF LOVE, CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER HAVE CERTAIN ANGLOPHILE LEANINGS BUT THE BAND HAIL FROM CALIFORNIA, PROVING THAT BIG SCUZZY RIFFS, HOLLERED HOOKS, ENGINE OIL AND DIRT HAVE TRANSATLANTIC APPEAL !"

--PAUL TRAVERS
- KERRANG

CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER
VAGABOND CABARET

Released 2008 (PedalToTheMetal Records)

Track List:
01. Crucify Me
02. Throttlerocket
03. Once If You're Lucky
04. Bangkok And Back
05. Mirror Mirror
06. Hellbound And Hateful
07. Devildrive
08. Cat O' Nine
09. High Priest Of Love
10. Thunder Alley

Band:
Mr. Matthew Mayhem - vocals
G#Sharp - lead guitar
Ricky Reckless - guitar
Joe Truck - bass and vocals
David Harvey - drums


Additional Musicians:
Ricky Warwick - guitar
Dizzy Reed - keyboards
Del James - backing vocals


Production:
Recorded by Ricky Warwick.

Review:
Bands such as the Crank County Daredevils and Dirty Rig better watch out, because there is a new gunslinger in town trying to shoot their way to the top of the sleaze rock pile. This time it is California's Confederacy Of Horsepower (great band name by the way) that is bringing their revved up rendition of Circus Of Power to the masses - and everyone better listen up!
Vagabond Cabaret is like a funnel cloud touching down in your town, destroying everything it its path with venomous vocals, blasts of uncontrollable guitar work and a destructive 100mph bottom end. You better run for the cellar before the Confederacy Of Horsepower pummel you into submission with their 10 song debut Vagabond Cabaret.
Don't expect to hear a ballad, in fact don't expect to hear anything that isn't a full-on musical assault. The sound of air-raid sirens during the intro of the first song warn the listener to take cover, because you are about to get bombarded with unrelenting rock and roll. Picture an updated and meaner version of the aforementioned Circus Of Power and Zodiac Mindwarp (who the band pays tribute to with a cover song) and you'll have a good idea of what you are in for.
"Once If You're Lucky", "Bangkok And Back" (which mixes things up with some Dizzy Reed piano), "Mirror Mirror", "Devildrive" and "Thunder Alley" are all killer rock songs, but the best of the bunch is "Hellbound And Hateful". That tune is a powerful slab of rock, with a chorus that is - dare I say it - catchy! Catchy isn't a word one should use to describe a band like this, unless of course you're female and have caught something from them in a darkened room of a seedy club.
The Almighty's Ricky Warwick has done a great job of producing on Vagabond Cabaret, managing to make the CD sound good without removing the warts and dirt. I think it is safe to say that only my death would stop Confederacy Of Horsepower from making it onto my best of 2008 list!

- BY SKID

Confederacy Of Horsepower
’Vagabond Cabaret’
posted 2008-04-01

Just a quick look at the cover and you’ll guess that these guys don’t play indie pop or whinning emo rock, and when you’ll see that this album was produced by Ricky Warwick (The ALMIGHTY), you"ll get the confirmation that CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER like their rock’n’roll sleazy with lots of tattoos and bandanas. With vocals reminding of bands like NASHVILLE PUSSY or CRANK COUNTY DAREDEVILS and songs in the vein of CIRCUS OF POWER, The ALMIGHTY or JUNKYARD, this is a newer band that fans of gutter whiskey rock’n’roll will love and I can already imagine them singing along to "Once If You’re Lucky" or "Thunder Alley", their fist in the air and a beer in their other hand. The band has Dizzy Reed (GUNS N’ ROSES) as a guest ..boards and I have to admit that the Jerry Lee Lewis rock’n’roll piano on "Bangkok And Back" works very well with the band’s music. On top of that, these guys also have good taste since besides the great album title they’re offering us a cover of "High Priest Of Love" (ZODIAC MINDWARP.) Since this kind of band is usually even better live than on album, we can only hope to see CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER in Europe soon!/Laurent.
- VEGLAM.COM

The sound of these american rockers smells like gasoline and feels dirty and gritty like the sound of any bad boys rock band should be: Confederacy Of Horsepower delivers raw high energy in your face rock n roll. What we have here is plenty of guitars and great rhythm section, big choruses, one look and sound that ain't million miles away from Circus Of Power and alike bands and the feeling that this is the kind of album you wanna hear in a smoky biker bar after a few drinks and too many cigarettes. Ok, talkin' about the 5 mega tattooed musicians from South California's music we're not talkin' about an original idea, just think to Switchblade and Crank County Daredevils, but with a voice as sleazy, powerful and commanding as Mr. Matthew Mayhem's it doesn't take long for what is pretty much a standard rnr album to rise just above the ordinary. Highlights are "Crucify Me", "Bangkok And Back" (with Dizzy Reed on piano), "Mirror Mirror", "Hellbound And Hateful", "Devildrive" and "Thunder Alley", but the real gem is the catchy "Once If You're Lucky": It's the kind of song that I'm sure Alex Mitchell & Co. would love to have written, it certainly works and I can't blame them for wanting to sound like these fine act. Well produced by The Almighty's Ricky Warwick and featuring a cover of Zodiac Mindwarp ("High Priest Of Love"), Vagabond Cabaret is a mighty release (unfortunately the playing time of 30 minutes is a little weak!) that should appeal to all who like well played sleaze rock, and in particular fans of Guns N' Roses, Faster Pussycat, Circus Of Power and the bar room bands. - ROXXZONE

Confederacy of Horse Power" come from Long Beach / Hollywood California, and their debut album is called affectionately "Vagabond Cabaret." Well, the disc was not produced by a label but is a big name behind the production, and although no less than "Ricky Warwick!" Well, who now thinks the man a murderer gets to hear production is now disappointed because there’s a rough demo sound far away from a fine sound. Now, "Confederacy of Horse Power" Kick Ass play Sleaze n ’roll of the’ Nashville Pussy, and the Americans do really well. Wüster vocals, dirty guitars and one has been listening to the feeling that the guys from Long Beach in addition to the music only drink or smoke! . Gerockt but here is enormous because singer "Matthew Mayhem" and his pop Sleazer us a decent Brett Rock n ’Roll to the eavesdropper. Whether "Crucify Me" or the casual "Bankok and Back" at the "Gunner" keyboardist "Dizzy Reed" is a guest game, there’s uncompromising Mucke in the ass occurs. „Nashville Pussy" We must, the band but not with "Dirrty Penny" or "Crazy Lixx" and compare cohorts, as I said there’s High Energy Sleaze n ’roll is the most likely as a mix of "Motörhead", "Nashville Pussy" and the "Hellacopters ". „Mayhem" Tüpfelchen! "High Priest of Love", the Americans will also have a cover of the legendary "Zodiac Mindwarp" recorded and do it really because, above all, the guitars sound very similar to the original, and the dirty singing of "Mayhem" are the I Tüpfelchen! Well, I like the disc really neat and it is also something beautiful again directly from Hollywood to get right?

from sleaze-metal.com

- SLEAZE METAL

CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER-VAGABOND CABARET
BY SLEAZEGRINDER

"CONFEDERACY OF HORSEPOWER ARE THE REAL DEAL.THERE ARE TATTOO ARTISTS AND PORNOGRAPHERS AMONG THEIR RANKS, HOG RIDERS AND KNIFE WIELDERS AND PROBABLY A SCALLIWAG OR A VARMINT AS WELL. THIER SOUND IS LIKE A NAIL STUDDED BASEBALL BAT TO THE GUTS, A GREAT AND TERRIBLE CLOBBERING BORN OF MOTORHEAD AND CIRCUS OF POWER AND SCARS AND WICKED WOMEN. THAT VAGABOND CABARET WAS PRODUCED BY THE ALMIGHTY'S RICKY WARWICK IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF MACHO OVERKILL THIS BAND SPECIALISES IN. "THUNDER ALLEY" IS THUNDEROUS, "THROTTLEROCKET" IS THROTTLING, "HIGH PRIEST OF LOVE"...WEL THATS A FUCKIN ZODIAC MINDWARP COVER. THIS RECORD WILL VANQUISH YOUR ENEMIES AND CHARM THIER WOMEN." - JULY 2008