Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Sloppy Joe’s is a power trio playing power rock. A constant hallmark of good musicianship is a tight live sound, and what you’ll experience in this short EP is some of the tightest hard rock live performances you’ve ever heard, anywhere, and with intricate riffs and nuanced song structures, the appreciation for Sloppy Joe’s live tightness only grows.

The band’s sound is most definitely massive and charismatic, the riffs are epic and the sounds the guitars make are commendable. From Devil’s Music’s sinister riffs, juicy bass lines, and fantastically intimidating melodic solo near the end, we quickly get a taste of what Sloppy Joe’s specialize in; tight and punchy hard rock. Right Decision’s melodic approach is a rocking homage to Scorpion’s ever lasting legacy. Lonesome No.1 is another sinister sounding piece with a thrashing intro that evolves into a rocking stampede that then evolves further into one of the jangliest and bluesiest pieces on the album, and certainly one of its most memorable. Make Some Noise incorporates chants from the audience and dynamically varying sections when the tasty, overdriven guitars go quiet, allowing the bass and drums their moment in the spotlight. Some Broken Hearts Never Mend starts with a cheeky nod to Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues. The song itself starts as a country ballad before a rocking twist totally changes this perception. 

The music of this live set is fantastically performed, and equally as well recorded and produced. The songs sound fresh and crisp, with boomy drums, upfront vocals, and beautifully mixed in guitars and bass, for an output that’s just a pleasure to experience, and it is always a plus that the songwriting itself is snappy, catchy, and exciting. If you’re in the market for some hard rocking live music, then Sloppy Joe’s Live in Hamburg (Vol.1) will not disappoint.