Almighty is one of the coolest groups I've recently discovered. Combining hook-laden riffs, sing-a-long choruses, the aggressiveness of Therapy? and the rawness of the Clash, they create a potent sound. The songs on their latest album (their fifth) are all excellent and have a freshness to them that's rare in many contemporary bands. It's as if vocalist/guitarist Ricky Warwick and Company are recording their first album. Even though a lot of the songs are riff-based, there're some cool guitar solos here. All the songs are catchy and appealing, and my personal favourites are Ongoing and Total, Do You Understand, All Sussed Out, Dead Happy, 360, and Independent Deterrent. The horns and keyboards add a nice touch in certain songs. Overall this is a great album---one of the best I've heard this year!
The Just Add Life release I got comes with a bonus disc titled Just Add Live which features ten live recordings of the band. Since I've never seen Almighty live, I can't say how accurately this captures their sound, but I do think it stands fairly well on its own. The live version of the one track on the counterpart CD (360) is a bit faster and rougher. Given that Almighty have now broken up, this live recording is about the closest you'll get to experiencing their show. Ricky Warwick said during the concert they their split: "we want you to remember us as the best live band of our time." The bonus disc will certainly give an indication of why they deserve that title if you have not seen the band live, and it will enhance the memory if you already have.