Just 10 months after releasing their self-titled debut album, dynamic Auckland two-piece Skinny Hobos are back with another slab of in-your-face rock gems in the form of a six-track EP branded ‘The Lucifer’.

The seemingly purposeful anti-climactic intro, Noit Cud Ortni, is perhaps a nod to the duo’s tongue in cheek sense of humour, the rest of the EP in contrast showing off a well-known infectious blues-rock sound and lyrical creativity.

The production quality with this release is again perfect, capturing that impossibly loud sound of Alex (Elvis) Ferrier’s planet-shifting guitar solos and Sam (Texas) Holdom’s hard-hitting sticks. Together, their harmonising vocals blend seamlessly every time. They know how to entertain, live and on record and it sounds like they’re having a blast doing so.

In these new tracks weren’t quite enough, they save the best for last in the form of a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, a classic that has taken on a life of its own since the original release in the 1970s, and been covered by just about every rock act.

Thankfully, Skinny Hobos are a perfect fit for what could be considered a tricky song for any normal-numbered band to pull off. The duo executes it well enough that the integrity of the song remains and the distinct points of difference that separates it from being a ‘karaoke classic’ are evident.

Alex’s wailing riff solo is incendiary and what more could anyone ask of a drummer able to match that level of power and finesse as Bonham once did. This is a cover that won’t leave anyone running Over the Hills and Far Away.