While one man dreams of building a mighty skyscraper, another just starts building the fucking thing already. The Demon Beat are just building the fucking thing already.

The thing to remember about the Demon Beat is that, given the challenges they face — relying on self-production, being based in a small community, and working within a three-piece setup — their dogged pursuit of unalloyed, combustive rock music shows no sign of flagging anytime soon. Their angle of attack changes with the seasons, but the core feel of the band’s music remains fixed. If something works, great. If not, ditch it. The Demon Beat is going somewhere and will beg, borrow or steal the riffs and beats it needs to get there.

Bullshit Walks, a co-release of the band’s Big Bullet Records and Charleston, WV-based Caustic Eye Records is the follow-up to 2010′s prog-esque Carl Perkins tribute 1956. It brings the band back to more familiar territory, switching out 1956‘s expansive “movements” for the tightly arranged songs of earlier Demon Beat releases.

Things are different, though, this time. Previous albums — HEAVYNASTY (2007), Shit, We’re 23 (2009) and The Demon Beat (2008 EP) — had a leaner, clearer balance and were at times intense but measured. Bullshit Walks, with exceptions, has a more muddled production. Gone are the crisp snap of drums and stomach-grumble of bass in favor of a more aggressive mix with everything, at times, all at once. It’s a wall of sound that does great at conveying a mood, but the message gets shouted down now and then.

Again, there are exceptions. Album highlights include “Art School Girls,” a break from the band’s rootsy classic rock vibe for something a little more frantic, and “Bang,” a regret-tinged gut-wrencher in the vein of “Can’t You?”. The album’s lead single, “Jump My Bones,” is a bit of high-octane square-shouldered rock & roll. There’s an updated modern-rock feel to the album, and if one is inclined to get up and shake one’s ass, this will do till you can see the band live.

Bullshit Walks is another in a string of incredible Demon Beat releases, and again, for about the thousandth time, I’m left wondering just why the hell these guys haven’t broken through yet. Audiences up and down the East Coast know what I’m talking about. Still, the way they do what they do by themselves is paying off in creative spades. In a region full of top-shelf talent and great music, the Demon Beat rises to the top, no doubt about it.

Bullshit Walks will be available July 5th. Preorder an extremely limited-edition (only 100!) hand-screen-printed vinyl LP and receive free shipping and an instant download of “Jump My Bones” and receive a digital download on the day of release.

Big Bullet Records
Caustic Eye Records