What the fuck is with these priss-mobiles on two wheels that people call choppers today? If its cost exceeds that of a luxury car and it has more chrome than the villain from Terminator 2, it's not a chopper. In the 1970s, a true chopper was a motorcycle stripped of all eccentricities. If it didn't serve a purpose in actually getting the wheels down the road, it was useless and chopped out of the equation. Things like fancy paint and nickel plating were reserved for poseurs, omitted for the sake of increasing two things: speed and an evil stance.

Welcome to White Cowbell Oklahoma's first bona fide chopper. While their past full-lengths were great starters, showcasing a band on track to finding a unique sound that was closely tied to the boogie rock of the past, Bombardero is a new beginning. The sextet (yes, they've tossed aside a few of the expendable bodies) has embraced its own style and attack, creating a bold adventure in hip-swaggering riffs, fuzzy, “Dazed And Confused” distortion and crisp, unforgettable vocals. From upbeat rockers like “This Cracker” and its Damned-ish “New Rose” vibe through the title track's three-part exploration, some Sabbath-y jams and a gritty cover of Edgar Winters' “Frankenstein,” this streamlined puppy contains everything those original choppers had: attitude, speed, aggression and freedom from the predictability of typical, blasé rock.