The Treatment – Waiting For Good Luck: Album Review

By Mike Ainscoe on 8th April 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

The fifth album from Cambridge hard rockers The Treatment is packed to the brim, indeed overflowing, with classic riffs and Hard Rock hooks.

Release date: 9th April 2021

Label: Frontiers Music

Format: CD / DL

After almost a decade of working their socks off, there seems a renewed determination about The Treatment. No longer new kids on the block, there are some changes on the teamsheet and engineering back up of the highest quality. Waiting For Good Luck is produced by UK rock maestro Laurie Mansworth (Airrace) and mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Black Country Communion, etc.). It’s also their second album featuring Tom Rampton on vocals and the first one with the new bass player Andy Milburn.

“We honestly all believe this album is a huge step forward for The Treatment ,” says the band. It finds Rampton’s raucous vocal style bedding in nicely, suiting the hard rock style perfectly. The results of a healthy bout of touring with the band and gelled further is a sign for all to hear.

Plenty of vim, vigour and attitude runs through the album although there’s no denying their influences and roots. Just have a listen to the way Tom Rampton phrases the word ‘dangerous’ in Rat Race and you’re immediately in Def Lep territory. You’ll also find them hitting a Roadhouse Quo Blues, four to the bar, groove on No Way Home and the rather brilliant Let’s Make Money. Yes, the fabulous foursome can be found fettling away at a fine rock and roll boogies. Anyone looking for fancy drum fills, be warned. The search will be fruitless.

However, The Treatment are at their best when the pace is upped to dangerously toxic levels. The frantic tempo onVampress and its partner in crime Hold Fire (“we all love a little bit of good time rock and roll“, not to mention a fight on Saturday night…) owe some debt to classic Bon-era AC/DC. Not for the only time do we detect an injection of a riff that would be at home in the Young household. Especially when there’s possibly a nod to old (whole lotta) Rosie in the “can’t take my eyes off the size of those hips” in the latter. Surely the next single if only to cause some offence to the PC brigade? Brilliant track with a chance for everyone to step forward and holler the title and with a proper false ‘live’ ending and reprise before the real live ending.

The inevitable blues box gets ticked – Barman, complete with a bit of background barrelhouse and rueing the loss of a good woman finds the band ‘bringing things down for a bit’ is the usual expression. It’s a brief respite in an album where anyone found not nodding their head at as an absolute minimum needs either a shot of adrenaline or a check of their pulse for some sign of life. Stand up and get in the game.

PS – brilliant cover too…

Here’s Rat Race: