You have read me praising Riding Easy Records a whole bunch of times so I am sure you are aware of my opinion on the label, but I just can’t believe how they keep finding amazing lost and/or forgotten records from the late 60s and 70s.
Twins Crew - Chapter IV (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Twins Crew may sound like a boy and from the 1990's but it is infact a power metal band from Sweden. Chapter IV is their fourth album and is something of a 'comeback' album as the last album came out in 2016.
There seems to be an endless well they keep drawing from, whether it is all of the great tracks on the 19 chapters of the Brown Acid Series, or the unearthed full lengths from bands on those comps, like the 1973 self-titled record from Granicus.
Granicus were heavy and raw, and incorporated a bunch of styles into the eight songs on their debut. The band brings the heavy prog rock with a serious early punk vibe to the party. I hear early Rush, Deep Purple, early Grand Funk, The Stooges, and MC5 in the mix. Just listen to the first track You're In America.
Granicus were heavy and raw, and incorporated a bunch of styles into the eight songs on their debut. The band brings the heavy prog rock with a serious early punk vibe to the party. I hear early Rush, Deep Purple, early Grand Funk, The Stooges, and MC5 in the mix. Just listen to the first track You're In America.
Damn.
Outside of singer Woody Leffel threatening to “drop his load” on America, this song just simply rips. The raw energy, the high-pitched vocals, the guitar tone, the 70s punk vibes in the lyrics, this one has it all. There is zero reason why songs like Bad Talk and Cleveland, Ohio did not bring them a big fan base.
Riding Easy does an amazing job writing up the history of this record and the band so I won’t go there, but just listen to When You’re Movin’ and tell me this isn’t killer. Or the guitar work on the closer, Paradise. Just breathtaking stuff.
Go listen to this if you like the heavy classic rock stuff that helped mold your musical tastes. Granicus can hang with any of those bands. Thank you again Riding Easy for this seemingly never-ending supply of amazing underappreciated rock. 9/10
Demian - Demian (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]
Writing reviews of unearthed “lost” records from Riding Easy Records back-to-back is a joy. After listening to and reviewing the amazing 1973 record from Granicus.
Go listen to this if you like the heavy classic rock stuff that helped mold your musical tastes. Granicus can hang with any of those bands. Thank you again Riding Easy for this seemingly never-ending supply of amazing underappreciated rock. 9/10
Demian - Demian (RidingEasy Records) [Rich Piva]
Writing reviews of unearthed “lost” records from Riding Easy Records back-to-back is a joy. After listening to and reviewing the amazing 1973 record from Granicus.
You may think that it would be nearly impossible to match that release on the same day, but alas, the wizards at Riding Easy also give us the self-titled record from Demian, and although different in style, it hangs in the quality department with all of these gems we keep getting from the label.
Demian were more melodic, and I agree with the write up by the label listing James Gang as a reference point. There is an early ZZ Top vibe in here somewhere too, but it is subtle. There is zero reason why (other than lack of promotion) that the opener, Face The Crowd, was not a hit.
Demian were more melodic, and I agree with the write up by the label listing James Gang as a reference point. There is an early ZZ Top vibe in here somewhere too, but it is subtle. There is zero reason why (other than lack of promotion) that the opener, Face The Crowd, was not a hit.
I love the guitar work on this record, with tracks like Windy City and Coming being strong examples. The band also had this Neil Young/CSNY acoustic hippy vibe to them too when they wanted to, like when they bring out the harmonies on Love People.
I also hear Grand Funk in a song like No More Tenderness. This record is an early 70s explosion of all things good from that time period. There is a back story to this record and band, but Riding Easy tells it best, as they always do with their great write ups on these releases on their website, but what I am here to say is that Demian rocks and we are all lucky to have Riding Easy bring it to us, even if it is 50 or so years late. 8/10
Twins Crew - Chapter IV (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Twins Crew may sound like a boy and from the 1990's but it is infact a power metal band from Sweden. Chapter IV is their fourth album and is something of a 'comeback' album as the last album came out in 2016.
They're called Twins Crew because guitarists Dennis and David Janglöv are twin brothers. But you could also call the band Hammerfall seeing as they play heraldic power metal that is very close to the Swedish compatriots.
Even in the production as they use Fredrik Nordström for mixing and mastering, giving it a muscular sound that also brings to kind Manowar and Judas Priest. This is steel on steel, classic heavy metal, there's even some hammer on anvil with opener Chose Your God.
Even in the production as they use Fredrik Nordström for mixing and mastering, giving it a muscular sound that also brings to kind Manowar and Judas Priest. This is steel on steel, classic heavy metal, there's even some hammer on anvil with opener Chose Your God.
The brothers lead the writing and playing with their great guitar playing but for me it's Andreas Larsson who impress most with his Biff Byford-meets-Blaze Bayley vocals.
With this comeback Twins Crew don't really change their style too much but you know what? Sometimes you have to give the people what they want. Chapter IV is a classic heavy metal album from a band who have been out of the game for a while. It's a great listen but not an essential one. 7/10
Carcolh - Twilight Of The Mortals (Sleeping Church Records) [Matt Bladen]
There's been a spate of great French doom recently and from the ashes of Marble Chariot and featuring members of various members of doom bands from France is Carcolh.
Formed in 2016 they've released two albums before Twilight Of The Mortals and they don't seem to have run out of doom metal riffs just yet. In the PR it mentions band such as Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Crypt Sermon, Carcolh remind me of all these acts, elongated songs with monolithic riffs and slow moving pulsating rhythms.
The album has 6 songs and it begins with the colossal For Every Second, the chuggy riffs bleeds into some great vocals, this is the ting that makes of breaks doom for me, if the singer is shit then then rest of the band suffer and it becomes a slovenly slow mess.
Carcolh have vocals that reminds me of Alice In Chains but their music is just classic doom with a lot of melodic lead guitar work, much of which comes from NWOTHM and with The Battle Of Lost reminds me of Grand Magus, but with My Prayers Are For Rain they slow right down into rumbling proper doom.
Another French band who do doom well they even add atmospheric moments to Twilight Of The Mortals to counteract the heaviness, if yoge not heard Carcolh until now, this is your chance to rectify it. 8/10
With this comeback Twins Crew don't really change their style too much but you know what? Sometimes you have to give the people what they want. Chapter IV is a classic heavy metal album from a band who have been out of the game for a while. It's a great listen but not an essential one. 7/10
Carcolh - Twilight Of The Mortals (Sleeping Church Records) [Matt Bladen]
There's been a spate of great French doom recently and from the ashes of Marble Chariot and featuring members of various members of doom bands from France is Carcolh.
Formed in 2016 they've released two albums before Twilight Of The Mortals and they don't seem to have run out of doom metal riffs just yet. In the PR it mentions band such as Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and Crypt Sermon, Carcolh remind me of all these acts, elongated songs with monolithic riffs and slow moving pulsating rhythms.
The album has 6 songs and it begins with the colossal For Every Second, the chuggy riffs bleeds into some great vocals, this is the ting that makes of breaks doom for me, if the singer is shit then then rest of the band suffer and it becomes a slovenly slow mess.
Carcolh have vocals that reminds me of Alice In Chains but their music is just classic doom with a lot of melodic lead guitar work, much of which comes from NWOTHM and with The Battle Of Lost reminds me of Grand Magus, but with My Prayers Are For Rain they slow right down into rumbling proper doom.
Another French band who do doom well they even add atmospheric moments to Twilight Of The Mortals to counteract the heaviness, if yoge not heard Carcolh until now, this is your chance to rectify it. 8/10
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