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Track Listing: Lords Of Abaddon Executioner's Song Dead Skin We Win Easier Lying She's An Anchor Wrecking Ball King Of The World Cocaine Your Name Follow Me To Hell

Duff McKagan-led hard rock outfit Loaded are back with their third studio album "The Taking". The most interesting aspect of the writing process for this album is that it was mainly done while the band was touring in support of the previous release "Sick". When they were playing those songs live, they were making them sound heavier than they are on the studio version of "Sick", and that frame of mind has led to a heavier studio release this time around. The arrival of Isaac Carpenter on drums also mens that this is the first album without Geoff Reading, hence bringing a new dynamic into the band.

"Lords Of Abbadon" gives the album a solid start. The music is excellently crafted, and has a rough edge to it. Duff's crisp voice is an excellent fit on top of it. "Executioner's Song" slows the tempo down a touch but keeps a similar atmosphere going. Having listened to the album a few times now, I can say with certainty that this is my favorite track on it. The guitar parts are pure delight to listen to, specially the harmony that forms the centerpiece of the tune.

The album makes a complete twist with the next two songs "Dead Skin" and "We Win". These tunes are definitely not as heavy as the first two, and quite simply put, are too catchy and pop-ish for my taste. "Easier Lying" picks things up though, a song that expresses a lot of attitude and emotion through its vocals and rhythm, and just like some of its predecessors, is complimented by well-written solos. But "She's An Anchor" is a track that doesn't offer that much in terms of musical depth, but a very decent track nonetheless and one that fits in pretty well with the rest of the album. It also boasts of sing-along portions in the lyrics that should make it an essential live tune for the band in the tours to come.

"Indian Summer" is a nice, fun-filled song that reminds me of U2 to some extent, specially the chorus. "Wrecking Ball" is the kind of track that builds up and gets better and better as it progresses. It's probably the least heavy tune on the entire album, but enjoyable all the same. From among the remaining four tracks, "Cocaine" is certainly my favorite. It's an excellent song to drive along with because of the very prominent Southern feel that's given to it by the guitar riffs. This came as a very pleasant surprise to me and it was something I really enjoyed. Having said that, "King Of The World" and "Your Name" can hold their own as well. Heavy, rough and fast, they are musically awesome tunes that bring forth some crazy bass licks by Jeff Rouse. The raw, down-tempo, punk-laden "Follow Me To Hell" brings the album to a grinding halt.

I've never seen Loaded live, but from what I've read in articles and seen in videos, their music always sounds better live than it does on the studio albums. If "The Taking" is anything to go by, their next touring cycle should be a real treat for all fans of hard rock. I would call the album "bottom heavy", as its second half has the best chunk of tunes in it. Duff and co have come up with their best and heaviest effort till date, and special mention should be made of Duff's rhythm guitar and Jeff's bass because in my opinion, these are the two musical components that make the album sound as heavy as it does.

An extremely solid, well-rounded composition.