A lot went on in the Jackyl camp before the release of this album. The band went on hiatus after their record-setting "100 Shows In 50 Days" tour in the fall of 1998, an adventure that left them drained, both physically and financially. During the time off, guitarist Jimmy Stiff and bassist Tom Bettini "got religion" and headed for pastures anew. Mainman Jesse James Dupree put out a solo album, and the less said about that little endeavor, the better. But eventually Dupree and the Worley brothers reconvened, with JJD himself taking over the second guitar slot, and former Brother Cane bassist Roman Glick filling that position.
The album that resulted is immediately more aggressive and energetic than the last couple of releases. The guitars are snarly again, the rhythms are kicked back up, and the songs in general are just more vital and heavy. Speaking of which, "If You Want It Heavy" is prime Jackyl, with its feisty attitude and shout-along chorus. AC/DC's Brian Johnson again lends a hand, this time co-writing the nasty pull-off-riddled "Kill The Sunshine" (although he doesn't sing on the track). "I'm On Fire" and "Billy Badass" drip with attitude, the latter featuring the famous chainsaw (a gimmick which, yes, has gotten a bit old). "Vegas Smile" has a cool, swinging groove, and "Mr. Evil" is good as well.
Two of the heaviest songs lurk near the end, with "Sparks From Candy" being balls-out and slammin', and "Curse On You" featuring a nice, atmospheric buildup. "The More You Hate It" closes the disc in typically gleeful fashion. Of course, we get the now-expected "country song" in "Down This Road Before," which is adequate, but the band has just never seemed to top "Secret Of The Bottle" for this type of track. "Lend Me Your Hand" could be another good song, except Dupree ruins it by screeching the chorus instead of singing. Overall, 'Relentless' is a welcome return to form, and although it doesn't measure up to the debut, it's about on a par with 'Push Comes To Shove'.

TRACK LIST:
1. If You Want It Heavy (I Weigh A Ton)
2. I'm On Fire
3. Kill The Sunshine
4. Lend Me Your Hand
5. Mr. Evil
6. Vegas Smile
7. Heaven Don't Want Me (Hell's Afraid I'll Take Over)
8. Down This Road Before
9. Billy Badass
10. Sparks From Candy
11. Curse On You
12. The More You Hate It

Review by Kip Massey