San Diego-based heavy rockers Formula 400 recently completed a three-week stint that took them across the US and included an appearance at the Maryland Doom Fest over Halloween weekend, where one can only imagine they were greeted warmly. The four-piece’s 2020 debut, Heathens (review here) — vinyl through Glory or Death Records, CD on Animated Insanity — continues to offer riffy thrills from front to back, and the band’s abiding lack of pretense extends to their presentation in their new video for “Messenger” as well, as you can see in the premiere below.

Dudes made a cool record and hit the road — it’s an idea as simple as could be in everything except the timing. Accordingly, “Messenger” follows the band-in-room-playing-song ethic of videography one saw in the prior clip for “Light My Way” — also notable that it’s the second track on the album and “Light My Way” is the opener — though it comes coupled with some clips of Bela Lugosi as Dracula, and that’s good fun too. Is the song about Dracula? Probably not, but it’s definitely about that hook and that’s all I really need, to be honest with you.

That’s kind of thing about Formula 400. Right down to their well-Firebird-was-taken moniker and through the album itself from the whiskey grit of “Ridin’ Easy” to the still-catchy bombast and metallic soloing of “Sun Destroyer” and the closing instrumental “The Long Road Home,” they’re readily telegraphing what they’re about. Ain’t anybody’s first go-round in a band, and they’ve got songwriting solid enough that if you actually put the record on, they make you feel welcome to stay for the duration. Anything else you want to ask of rock and roll is superfluous.

It’s never gonna be the cool thing. The critical hit. Kids won’t be dancing to it on TikTok. But whatever. There’s room in this world for that stuff too. Sometimes it’s okay to just enjoy a groove. So you’ll pardon me if I do that.

Dig:

Formula 400, “Messenger” video premiere

Formula 400 are:
Dan Frick: Guitar and Vox
Kip Page: Bass
Ian Holloway: Guitar and Vox
Lou Voutiritsas: Drums

Formula 400, Heathens (2020)

Formula 400 on Facebook

Formula 400 on Instagram

Formula 400 on Bandcamp

Formula 400 website

Glory or Death Records on Facebook

Glory or Death Records on Instagram

Glory or Death Records on Bandcamp

Glory or Death Records webstore

Tags: California, Formula 400, Formula 400 Heathens, Glory or Death Records, Heathens, San Diego

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 at 9:42 am and is filed under Bootleg Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.