New album reveals the raw power of Autozamm

Musicians, singers and songwriters can be a precious bunch, even at the best of times, but particularly when you're talking to them about their art.
So I was expecting a bit of dropped lip and strop from Autozamm frontman Nick Major when I expressed my disappointment in the band's first two albums.
It wasn't that they were rubbish; in fact, As For Now (2005) and Drama Queen (2009) were quite good ... but they weren't as good as Autozamm can be and did nothing to display the band's real strength - it's live performance.
You see, to me anyway, their new album 5th Degree is the album Autozamm have been waiting to make and it captures all the verve, energy and sheer power that Autozamm live has.
"No, fair enough mate," Major says, "I agree."
What? You're supposed to tell me how the albums were reflective of where you were as a band then, how you did the best you could at the time.
"You're right, this is the album we've been waiting to make and it captures us perfectly," he says.
"The whole point of making this record was to get a better representation of who we are as a band. I'm pleased with how it's ended up as I think it is [a good reflection of the band]."
Produced by renowned Los Angeles native Krish Sharma - previous credits include such rock luminaries as the Rolling Stones, The Cult, Perry Farrell and Counting Crows - 5th Degree will leave the listener under no illusion as to how powerful Autozamm can be.
"We knew we needed to find somebody who was able to capture a band's live sound, who was able to get that energy down on tape.
"Looking at Krish's work, we didn't realistically think we'd end up working with him," says Major.
"But he was keen and having him was huge for us, the experience he brought was amazing. We were a bit intimidated at first because of who he has worked with, but after a couple of days it was obvious it would work and we were the most comfortable we've ever been in the studio."
Rather than record their song parts in separate booths at different times the band played the album live in the studio.
"Krish knew exactly what we wanted and he made it his mission to get the sound we wanted. The previous stuff wasn't really us, but this is," Major says.
"We are a much more heavy and powerful unit live than those albums showed. That sound was really polished, and while that might be alright for some bands, it wasn't for us.
"So we just set up in the studio and went hell for leather. It's quite different to how we've done things in the past, but Krish was there encouraging us saying 'you're cooking with gas'. He did a fantastic job and it shows on the album."
Sharma worked on the Autozamm album within days of recording new vocals from Mick Jagger in the South of France for the remastered release of the Rolling Stones classic album Exile on Main St.
"We got to listen to the album before it was released, that was a real buzz, and we got to hear his stories about recording Mick Jagger. That was pretty special."
And now that the "business" of recording and releasing an album is out of the way, it's back to what Autozamm does best, playing live, with a short national tour to promote the album with Black River Drive, which is playing to support its own new album Perfect Flaws.
Major says the live shows will give the audience a chance to hear the album in its natural surroundings.
"What you hear on the album is pretty much what you will hear on stage. There are no overdubs or layers of guitars that you can't recreate live.
"It's just us and the music, live and loud."