Well it's been a while since Nicke Andersson got his guitar on and delivered some music for us rock 'n' roll types. That wait is over as Imperial State Electric sort of creeps out into the general populous without any fanfare, just a truckload of riffs, wailing fretwork and rock 'n' roll. 

Twelve chunks of rifftastic rock 'n' roll are the order of the day that, naturally, follow on from the Hellacopters and aren't really any massive departure from what he does best, with maybe some subtle tweeks and turns here and there but it does sound like Nicke has got his mojo working and enjoying tearing it up with some friends old and new. 

So those of you who haven't got their greasy mitts on this yet can relax in the knowledge that this beauty does indeed carry all the tools you need for great music; Wailing riffs, rolling solos, bombastic drums and rock-steady basslines. Playing bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion and singing lead vocals on pretty much everything bar the guest slots - usually the guitar breaks and backing vocals - I'd say Mr Andersson has been a busy boy these past few years putting together this beast.

After a blistering opening one-two of 'A Holiday From My Vacation' and 'Lord Knows I Know That It Ain't Right' we have the laid back 'Resign' which sounds quite Beatlesey with a bit of Jeff Lynn production thrown in there for the mix, but for me it's at track four that this album really grabbed me - 'Throwing Stones' motors along with some scrumptious bass scales and my favourite rock 'n' roll ingredients - hand claps. What a monster song with one foot in the 70's glam slam and the other in a puddle of hot rod oil, this is a great track that purrs and sizzles in equal measures, and co-written by Dregen as well who just happens to play the damn axe on it for good measure - it's a real foot on the wedge blast. More garage and MC5 than the Thin Lizzy of The Hellacopters, maybe Nicke has reached back further into the decades for inspiration, with some superb vocals and melodies like 'I'll Let You Down' which sounds like it was a missing Stones hit from the very early days or even something The Kinks could have penned when they really let their hair down.

Mr Talented turns in a barnstorming 'I Got All Day' which sounds like something Kiss would have loved to have written in the 70's - the track struts like a goddamn peacock all over my stereo. I could go through this album track by track but I'll shorten it down by saying this is recognisably Nicke Andersson but you'll also be glad to know it's a little twist and turn from what you might be expecting, but the end result has still got dirt under the fingernails and a bucketfull of tunes. Made all the better for having the likes of Dregen and Neil Leyton shake their shit over it, I'm sure we all can agree that the world is always a better place with good honest rock 'n' roll records getting released and this is exactly that with a common aim to spread the gospel of rock 'n' roll. Head Of State Andersson has just given us the first 12 chapters! Amen Brother Nicke, we hear you loud and clear.

'Imperial State Electric', simply go and bother your local CD seller for a copy or buy it off one of those nice indie retailers on this here interweb it might just gatecrash your end of year top 10.

www.myspace.com/imperialstateelectric