Amplified Heat
In for Sin (Arclight)Break out the Jim Beam, and put away the crystal – the Ortiz brothers are gonna destroy everything. Toting the savviest name change Red River’s ever seen, Amplified Heat is dying to blow your speakers. With their debut on local imprint Arclight, In for Sin, Jim, Chris, and Gian are out of the Honky and Dixie Witch shadows. Jim and Gian more than likely tossed their volume knobs years ago, and Chris beats the hell out of the kit just to garner their attention and yours. Despite a bit of wank streaming from Jim’s SG, In for Sin simulates the Red River live experience on disc: hair whipping around like a tornado, Converses on stained carpet, “Can we get more Lone Stars up here?” The opening title track forays into classic Southern stomp, chauvinism included (“She gonna cook me some dinner, when my workday is done, and when I’m in the mood for some love, she gonna give me some”). Aside from the “perfect woman,” IfS focuses on the important things in life: cars, drugs, drink, and money. This is rock & roll, after all. “Roadrunner” screams past at 120 mph, with “Wagon Wheel” rolling in right behind toting Motörhead and Nashville Pussy. With their blues roots showing (“Just a Junkie,” “The Gunny”), mixed in with a devotion to classic rock (“Fever,” “Reflections”), Amplified Heat is a swirling vortex of blood, spit, and history. Those volume knobs are hardly missed.
This article appears in November 5 • 2004.