Who likes their rock hard?
Who likes their rock to come from a band called The Gentlemen Bastards?
Who likes rock you can buy for $1?
Where do you start with a name like that? Well, Huntsville Alabama will drop you in their back yard.
Opening proceedings is “Neverland”, and is quite simply a tremendous slice of old school rock. Distorted guitar, and solid bass, and the riffs keeps coming. Things ease up a little for the “Motorcycle Song”, but still carry that heavy vibe and show additional depth to their skills. Where as “Déjà vu” just pummels you with it’s guitar work, and storming solos.
In the middle of the album sits the 11 minute opus NMR, and that just tries to explode your brain. Again, with guitar solos, cracking vocals, and dare I repeat myself, that old school sound. Don’t get me wrong these guys are fresh, and all the tracks have a modern feel, but the sound is almost pure hard rock. Almost? They have brought their own “thing” (technical term!) to it, that bluesy edge, that slight Southern feel.
Not content with having an 11 minute track, and doing it so well it seems like the natural thing to do, the penultimate “Big Bad Wolf” track ways in at over 7 minutes, and again is wonderfully executed.
Closing the proceedings is “Start The Show”, an interesting title for the end of the album. In fact it could have been used to introduce the album. With it’s faster paced tempo you are definitely left wanting more as the vocals taunt you with “Let’s get this show on the road” – how could you at the end of the album! Although, at the start might have been cheesy.
The whole album is irritatingly catchy, foot tapping and nodding the head is too hard to resist!
According to the band “rock is headed in the wrong direction, and they aim to set it right”. This album not only packs a punch, it approaches you with enough swing and swagger that they should easily steer hard rock in the right direction!
Hard working rock, with a Southern feel and a slight bluesy feel to it. I can only imagine how intense their live shows must be. Keep it coming guys!
To quote Robo-Cop, “I’d buy that for dollar!” (but be generous and pay more!)
Line Up
Will Quinn
Bill Barry
Dave Stanley
Böðvar Böðvarsson
Tracks
Neverland
Last Rites
Motorcycle Song
Deja vu
Take a Ride
NMR
Good Intentions
If Only
Big Bad Wolf
Start the Show
Links
http://www.thegentlemenbastards.com/
https://en-gb.facebook.com/thegentlemenbastards
Words by Jon “nearly old enough to be old school”.
