Page 91 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

respectability to your music; singing exactly like the young Shrieve and Free man Simon assertion that “we are the the languid Howl At The Moon
strings make almost anything Steve Perry, some fine songs, Kirke bash the kits, there are fat, disease”, there’s a positivity and the more up-tempo Overpass,
sound elegant. Which is to notably When The Heartache Has funky horns, Bobby Darin underlying it all. Punchy, poppy where Nielsen creates a rich,
undersell these Finnish musicians Gone, feel second-hand. It’s references, a finger-clicking punk melodies carrying a plea layered world that’s entirely his
somewhat. The experiment of when Blades sings, solo or with Sharks v Jets serenade to for love to beat hate. Don’t Let own. He may not sound like his
recording with different singers Castronovo, that Revolution 8th Avenue (and the Velvets), The Bastards Get You Down, for father (although both Nielsens
has passed, covers are passé, and Saints hit on something truly and a magnificent homage to one, is set to be chanted on collect guitars), but Ohbahoy
Cell-0 is the dizzying work of four their own. With more of that, the Magenta Street that smells like every human rights march going. (titled after an imaginary
classically trained musicians at band could really fly. the Bronx. If you can get over the They may not change the world, childhood friend) shows he’s
the top of their game. Nods are QQQQQQQQQQ fact that he isn’t reinventing the but they’ll give it their best shot. more prodigy than prodigal.
given to Mozart as much as they Paul Elliott wheel on the yellow taxi, then QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQ
might be to Metallica, infusing fun time awaits. If you don’t, Emma Johnston John Aizlewood
songs like Ashes Of The Modern Handsome then you don’t know Dick.
World and En Route To Mayhem, Dick Manitoba QQQQQQQQQQ Miles Nielsen DeWolff
with a rare snap and verve and Born In The Bronx Max Bell & The Rusted Tascam Tapes MASCOT
marking Apocalyptica out as LIBERATION HALL Hearts An album really recorded on
leaders in a field of one. Noo Yawk Noo Yawk. L’Chaim. Anti-Flag Ohbahoy MILES NIELSEN INC. a shoestring.
QQQQQQQQQQ Richard Blum, 20/20 Vision SPINEFARM Cheap Trick guitarist’s son Going even
Philip Wilding aka HDM, was Pennsylvania punks take aim steps out. Doesn’t sound like more lo-fi than
the legendary at the system once more. Rick Nielsen. usual, DeWolff
Revolution Saints lead singer with Pittsburgh Miles Nielsen have pulled off

Rise FRONTIERS The Dictators, punks Anti-Flag is a busy boy. the kind of
The AOR supergroup with one of the few true NYC punk have been Unlike his album that sounds more like
a familiar sound. rock groups. Now a sprightly 65, around in one brother Daxx, a dare than anything else. Using
There’s serious he’s still sifting through the form or another he hasn’t nothing more than guitar, drum
pedigree to sidewalk detritus. since 1988, yet it feels that their joined Cheap Trick, preferring sampler and synth, the band
Revolution Working with lyricist Jon Tiven, time is very much now. With instead to raise a family, lecture recorded album number seven
Saints, with Dick wanders over a bunch of activism central to their existence in creative writing and be half on an ancient Tascam four-track
drummer and tunes about daytime TV, Chuck as a band, their return at a time of Willow & Weep with wife tape machine, mostly at the
lead singer Deen Castronovo Taylor’s Converse, Yankee when people are marching Kelly Steward. back of their bus while on tour.
formerly of Journey, guitarist Stadium, the lure of the warm against a racist, misogynist, There’s also the Rusted Hearts, The result is supremely groovy,
Doug Aldrich ex-Whitesnake, California sun, crack cocaine and homophobic US president, the closest he gets to a day job. the band’s typically psychedelic
and bassist/vocalist Jack Blades entertaining if unreciprocated against climate catastrophe and They’ve been at it for six years take on classic 70s rock stripped
the co-founder of Night Ranger. glances at the local talent, all against division suggests that now, crafting a post-Americana down to the essence of an off-
Castronovo and Aldrich also delivered with his customarily much of the population is joining blend of celestial Jellyfish-style kilter lounge band with top
play together in the Dead lecherous crash-’n’-burn like them in speaking out. harmonies, Tom Petty-esque tracks It Ain’t Easy and Blood
Daisies. But in this band the he’s Larry David’s even less woke Naturally, 20/20 Vision is twang and, as grumpily Meridian I leading the charge,
focus is on pure AOR. And while younger brother. a deeply political album, showcased on Life Is (Hard followed closely by Rain, Let It
these guys are masters of the The weird stuff arrives on Big beginning with a clip of Donald Enough) and I Don’t Care For You, Fly and Blood Meridian II, the
art, there are times on Rise, their Army Brass and a demented take Trump looking back on the “good a bleak lyrical world view. While minimal set-up enabling the
third album, when they sound on Eve Of Destruction that old days” when protesters were Old Enough takes the Petty quality of the tunes to shine.
like nothing more than a Journey features the songwriter PF Sloan. “treated very, very rough”. But appreciation too close to its QQQQQQQQQQ
tribute act. With Castronovo Santana drummer Michael despite a very real anger and an source, they’re at their best on Essi Berelian

ROUND-UP: PROG By Jo Kendall

Udo Pannekeet Psychic Lemon
Electric Regions Freak Mammal DRONE ROCK
IN AND OUT OF FOCUS One night, after a show,
Bassist Udo Pannekeet is I had a Psychic Lemon
in the current line-up of flyer pressed into my
Dutch masters Focus. hand. I lost the flyer, and
While not Hocus Pocus- later thought I’d dreamt
sing around the world, the band’s existence. But here they are,
he’s put together this excellent prog jazz trippy psychedelicists from Cambridge,
set with other Focus folk, plus brass and with their dense five-tracker. With Goat,
busy, bubbling electronics, which is almost Hawkwind and The Heads as possible
like an album in itself on Electric Regions influences, Afrotropic Bomb and Free
Pt 1, running into early Santana and Herbie Electron Collective are funky and
Hancock territories over 23 minutes. overdriven wah-wah standouts.
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Guranfoe: putting their Sonar Storchi
own spin on some
classic sounds. Tranceportation RARENOISE Outside FREIA/DUTCH MUSIC WORKS
For Zurich minimalists Prog metal with flute,
Guranfoe Sonar, now on album from Israel? Yep, that’s
Temple. And looking at photos of the four But this ain’t retro cap-doffing. There’s number five, pairing where we’re at with
The Sum Of Erda APOLLON
young men in their ‘rural practice cabin’, depth and dynamic grit in Guranfoe’s with veteran improviser Storchi, with flautist
It’s always nice to get sitting on orange sofas surrounded by sound, with weaving twin-guitar lines, and composer David Danielle Sassi (daughter
in on the ground floor piles of analogue gear, it’s evocative flute, clarinet, violin, lap-steel and Torn has been highly fruitful. 2018’s of ex-Orphaned Land’s Yossi) fronting
with a new band. Well, enough to whet our appetite. vibraphone adding colour, lightness and acclaimed Vortex set the blueprint, and a mainly teenage virtuoso quartet. Jazz,
we say ‘new’, Norwich From The Sum Of Erda’s first track, sparkle to masterful and melodic zig- now Tranceportation takes the cyclical fusion and world music all feature on these
four-piece Guranfoe Eventitide, the sound and style is the zagging compositions. Near-10-minute ticking and picking and adds more of Torn’s superb seven tracks, all instrumental
have been going since 2012, but wonderful, warm 70s prog that we hoped album closer Etsinta Harvest In The Thar spacey interjections – subtle, raw, wild - to except for Outside, which comes across
ploughing away steadily on the live circuit for, where touchstones seem to be Frank Sands is just gobsmacking. An album well create a kind of cosmic-experimental-jazz a little as Tull’s Bourée meets Metallica’s
supporting like-minded sorts such as Zappa’s Hot Rats, Mike Oldfield, Gentle worth the wait. Tool. Worth having on repeat. All day. Ride The Lightning.
Caravan, Soft Machine and Acid Mothers Giant and the classic Canterbury sound. QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQ QQQQQQQQQQ

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