The Upsessions and Monty Neysmith – Sheriff Double Gun

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Black News

May 11, 2026 - 13:50

The Upsessions and Monty Neysmith – Sheriff Double Gun

Release Info

Label
Aggrobeat Records
Format
LP / DR
Street date
May 1, 2026
Contact
Website Record Label

Tracklist

Side A
1. Sheriff Double Gun
2. Little Bonny Revolver
3. Hot Like Scorcher
4. Calamity Jane
5. Fat Coyote
6. Train To Calamity

Side B
1. Mary Jane
2. Bad Cow Thief
3. Crimes Of Passion
4. Chickenbody Dandy
5. Nothing In The Coffin
6. No Law In Deadwood
7. Apache

Almost at the same time as the reissue of their classic debut album The New Heavyweight Champion, Dutch band The Upsessions has unleashed their sixth studio album, Sheriff Double Gun. This time around, the band linked up with veteran Monty Neysmith, a man whose fingerprints are all over reggae history through groups like Symarip, The Pyramids, and Seven Letters. He’s also the composer behind worldwide known classics like Skinhead Moonstomp and Skinhead Girl. So right away, you know this project comes with serious roots and experience behind it.

Produced by Boss van Trigt, Sheriff Double Gun feels like a love letter to that golden era when Jamaican reggae collided with the dusty world of spaghetti western movies. Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, films by Sergio Leone were massive in Jamaica. Movies like ‘The Good, The Bad And The Ugly’ and ‘A Fistful Of Dollars’ packed Kingston cinemas and helped shape the sound and vibrant style of early Jamaican reggae called ‘boss reggae’, often known as ‘skinhead reggae’.

You can hear that influence all over this album. The galloping riddims, crispy guitar chops, vintage organ sounds, and cinematic tension instantly bring to mind the raw magic of Lee Perry and The Upsetters classics like Eastwood Rides Again, The Good, The Bad & The Upsetters, and Return Of Django. But The Upsessions never sound like they’re copying the past. They take that old-skool ‘boss reggae’ energy and make it feel fresh and alive.

The album artwork already sets the mood perfectly with its old western comic-book style, but once the needle drops, things really come together. The title track kicks things off with swagger, and tracks like Little Bonny Revolver, Calamity Jane, and No Law In Deadwood lean deep into the cowboy theme without turning cheesy.

One of the strongest moments comes with Fat Coyote, where the trombone lines add extra flavor to the already heavy groove. And throughout the whole album, the production stays refreshingly raw. That’s important because too many modern ska and reggae revival records sound overly clean and lifeless. Here, the edges are left rough enough to keep the music breathing. Tracks like Hot Like Scorcher and Bad Cow Thief have that rough, infectious groove that made ‘boss reggae’ so addictive in the first place. Monty Neysmith’s contribution can’t be overstated either. His voice carries decades of reggae history without sounding nostalgic or tired. There’s humor, confidence, and decades of experience in his delivery.

Another thing that works in the album’s favor is the pacing. Thirteen tracks, just over forty minutes, and not a dull moment. An instrumental like Crimes Of Passion gives your ears a chance to drift for a minute before the next wave rolls in, while tunes like Apache and Nothing In The Coffin deepen the album’s outlaw mood even more.

At its heart, Sheriff Double Gun works because it sounds honest. Not trendy. Not forced. Just musicians fully locked into the music they love. If you’ve got a soft spot for Trojan-era reggae, boss reggae, early ska, or that raw skinhead reggae sound, this album will feel right at home in your collection.

The Upsessions

Symarip

Seven Letters

Playlist Album