Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion Releases Debut Record [Album Review]

Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion has dropped their self-titled debut album, to the excitement of fans that have been all-in on the band since day one.

The rock-tinged country that BMWR fans got used to from live shows and the streaming releases of songs like Holy Smoke and Appalachian Entrepreneur is on full display across the eight-song record. There are a lot of opportunities to tap your feet to the beat, sing along to catchy hooks, and wish you were driving way too fast with the windows down while you're doing it.

For all of the high energy, moonshine runnin' good times though, we were blown away by track two on the album, Beautifully Broken. If your introduction to the band was their self-titled single, or Holy Smoke, or seeing them open on the road for The Cadillac Three on the Canadian Vacation tour, you probably didn't expect this. Hell, we didn't expect this. It's sad and sweet and slow and damn. It caught us off guard and right in the feels.

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On the whole, though, Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion is here to play some mountain music and raise hell. There's an edge on Bloody Bill and Fixin' To Die that you can feel. There's an energy in Holy Smoke and Appalachian Entrepreneur that makes you want to move. And that all comes from straight up quality music.

Across eight tracks and 31 minutes, the album is a refreshing listen, set aside from the charts, the radio, and what you're used to. It's a lot of fun. It features strong performances on the microphone and collected instruments. And we dig it.

Mitch Merrett, Corbett Frasz, Erik Dylan, Greg Carroll, Mike Little, plus guests including Clayton Bellamy have put together something special here. And while we know that each of these dudes has other things they're working on, we hope that they're already planning what comes next for BMWR on the road, in the studio, and with more guest appearances.

This band is a blast live and on this album. They're experienced and accomplished musicians and industry professionals. They've built a brand without big marketing money and campaigns. And if we're all lucky, they'll keep doing it for a long time.

With the release of this album and these songs and some time to get it out there and grab the attention of more country-rock fans, Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion is poised to become a common answer when people start talking about bands they think you should know and should be heard from more.

Hit play on the stream, turn up the volume, and enjoy!

Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion, Album Tracklist