Inglorious album launch gig review

It'll go down in history as one of those "I was there" moments. At the Islington Assembly Hall, on 21 February 2016, a new chapter began in the history book of rock and they named it; Inglorious.


L to R; Will Taylor, Colin Parkinson, Phil Beaver (back), Nathan James and Andreas Eriksson
Photo credit: Dan Haygreen

I'm really struggling to find words to describe the experience of seeing Inglorious because it was so phenomenal, but if you can imagine Deep Purple in their pomp them you will get some kind of idea. Heavy, driving riffs and solos, controlled aggression from the rhythm section, and incredible vocal range make Inglorious an absolute joy to behold, both live and on their debut record.

Their musicianship and seamless chemistry is quite staggering to watch. Andreas Eriksson and Will Taylor share lead and rhythm duties song by song, and are equally comfortable doing a joint solo; blowing many minds in the process. Colin Parkinson (bass) and Phil Beaver (drums) take on the enviable task of driving the Inglorious train forward, in a partnership that is reminiscent of John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Between them they even took on a tight drum and bass instrumental while the rest of the band took a few minutes break. As immensely talented as those guys are, Nathan James' voice steals the show. I'm not exaggerating to say his vocals are an amalgamation of Ian Gillan, David Coverdale and Dio - simply fantastic.

Inglorious rocketed through their set with as much, if not more, power than is presented on their album. Opening with the incredible Until I Die, running through a mash up set of the album's tracks, and throwing in Toto, Rainbow and Deep Purple covers for good measure, Inglorious just got better and better as the night went on.

The biggest surprise for me was Holy Water; as close to an Eagles/Deep Purple song as you're likely to hear. Nathan James described it as only taking 40 minutes to write and rather an 'after thought', for want of a better phrase, to finish the album. It was surprising purely because of how good and different it was in relation to the other 10 tracks on the album, and also probably the best song on the night for audience participation on the chorus.

I was also pleased, but not surprised, at how nice and personable all the members were after the show. I had a decent chat with each of them, except Nathan who was rather rushed away by security, and they all signed my CD and ticket.

Inglorious - Inglorious album review

There aren't many albums I could listen to all day, but this is one. A collection of pure, unequivocal rock 'n' roll. This album represents everything that classic rock should be; raw, unadulterated rock 'n' roll, powering forward with high energy and dynamic attitude!

Inglorious' debut album cover

Inglorious' self-titled debut has been a long time in the making. Formed in 2012 by brilliant lead singer, Nathan James, formerly of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical production, Superstar, Inglorious has been put together through mutual friends and a mutual love of British classic rock legends of yesteryear - Rainbow, Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin etc etc etc.

Somehow, Inglorious have created a sound that not only harks back and takes influence from those legends, but also sounds fantastically fresh and vibrant. From the riff of Until I Die to the faded piano at the end of Unaware, Inglorious bounds forward with all the vigour of an excited puppy, but with the control and grace of a high flying eagle.

The stand out track on Inglorious for me is the aforementioned Until I Die. Riffs are a tricky thing to get exactly right, but when done simply and effectively it's hard to argue they're a thing of beauty. From first hearing the riff of Until I Die on Planet Rock months ago, I fell deeply in love with it and haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since - which of course is what a great riff is designed to do!

As well as the hard rocking tracks on this album, there are equally tranquil, ballad like songs, Holy Water for example, which glides along effortlessly. The most tranquil example on Inglorious is Wake, a beautiful, moving track which is almost beyond description, especially with the piano section at the end.

When it comes to the hard rocking tracks on Inglorious, it isn't all the same. Girl Got A Gun is structured to cleverly it's a wonder it's rarely done by more "mainstream" rock bands. A calm intro flows into a drum and bass lead verse, which suddenly dives into a sumptuously heavy pre-chorus riff before a Gillan esque chorus; simply fantastic!

Verdict - 10/10

I have absolutely no reservations giving Inglorious a 10/10 for their debut album. It's nostalgically classic yet fresh enough not to sound like they've blatantly copied what came before. Some will say it's too similar, but how can that be a bad thing?! In a time where rock is supposedly "dying", why shouldn't a group of fresh faced rockers bring back a flavour of what was, and always will be, classic rock?

Davide Pannozzo - It Hurts Me Too track review

Italian Blues man, Davide Pannozzo, approached me on Twitter to take a listen to his cover of Elmore James' It Hurts Me Too, and here's my assessment.

Pannozzo takes this iconic song and turns it almost entirely on it's head. The slide guitar has gone and where once was piano is now guitar fills. He's also doubled the length of the track, from three minutes to just over six.

His guitar playing is very interesting also - a salute back to the legends of Eric Clapton and BB King - favouring short sharp runs as opposed to lengthy, overly elaborate solos, which is fresh and certainly a different take to that of most contemporary Blues players. It's more Live at the Regal than Tour de Force: Live in London that's for sure.

Innovation is certainly not something Pannozzo's afraid of. There are tiny nuances that gives this cover a very interesting sound, for example doing multiple up and down bends on one note rather than one long vibrato, and sharp slides mid note that liven up the piece. I can't say I've heard these techniques very often.

Pannozzo's voice is great too. Softer than that of gritty Blues singers like BB King, but full of tone and warmth, and compliments his playing.

Verdict - 8/10
It's a very nice cover of a classic track, and Pannozzo has put his own spin on it without losing the class of the original.

If you prefer softer Blues than you should definitely check out Davide's Soundcloud page and subscribe to his newsletter.
https://soundcloud.com/davide-pannozzo
http://davidepannozzo.fanbridge.com/

Philip Sayce - Peace Machine album review

There are times in life when you find something you can't believe you've been without your entire existence until that point. For me, at this moment, that something is the music of Philip Sayce; the Blues Rock maestro with the playability of Jimi Hendrix with a touch of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and trust me, that's no exaggeration.

Sayce's first album with Warner, Influence

I was tuned into Planet Rock last Sunday evening, listening to the 'My Planet Rocks' programme whose guest was South African Blues man, Dan Patlansky. I had heard of this guitar-smith but not paid much, if any, close attention to his music. It was another man's music, though, that caught my ear during the programme. Patlansky was asked by presenter, Wyatt Wendels, to reveal his final song which was Out Of My Mind from Sayce's 2015 album, Influence. I was absolutely astounded, knocked back, and left with my mouth gapping! What on earth was that?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKJaeAcElEo

I was so enthused I jumped straight onto my computer in search of the musical wonders I had just adhered to. The first thing I came across was in fact Influence, a delicious mix of Blues, jazz, hard rock, and more commercialised blues tracks. However, diving into his back catalogue I stumbled across the golden nugget that is Peace Machine.



Sayce's first album, 2009's Peace Machine

The cover itself gives you an idea of it's theme - hard blues rock with a late 60s, Hendrix, psychedelic flavour. There are 15 tracks (if you include Arianrhod, the bonus track), all of which take elements of classic blues rock - Hendrix, SRV - and incorporates in modern twists to give a similar style to that of contemporary blues master, Joe Bonamassa. Although I would argue Sayce plays with a bit more attack and with a harder edge than Bonamassa.

You certainly get a great plethora of different styles on this album. All I Want, for example, is as close to Hendrix as it's possible to get, and then, conversely, we have Alchemy, an extremely laid back instrumental that just listening to will make you melt into whatever you're sitting on. However, the highlight has to be song which gives the album it's title. Peace Machine is an 11 minutes Blues Rock romp that channels Hendrix so much, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was one of his own. The guitar work is simply mesmerising too, combining shredded blues solos and calmer SRV-like tones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLH6AyuV0sw

A notable difference between Sayce and Bonamassa is the style of playing. Bonamassa takes care of his instrument, carefully caressing every note and nuance. Sayce on the other hand thrashes his guitar until it literally screams. There are points on many Peace Machine tracks where the feedback, fuzz and whammy effects literally take over the resonance of the actual notes being played and create a swirling miasma of stunning technique and innovation.

Verdict - 10/10
If you're a fan of the Blues, Hendrix, SRV, you simply have to get this album or at the very least just listen to it. I guarantee it will blow your mind!

Primal Fear - Rulebreaker album review

To quote the late Lemmy Kilmister (God that's horrible and weird to say!), "The great strength of heavy Metal is that it doesn't progress. People love it the way it is." Nowhere is this more applicable to a band than Primal Fear. As with 99% of heavy Metal bands - the exception being Metallica - the formula stays the same because it's what works.

Primal Fear's new album - Rulebreaker

I mean no disrespect to Primal Fear when I say this, but they are a safe band. That's not to say their music is bland - because it most certainly isn't - but it's nothing we've not heard before. When I say they're safe it's in reference to the fact there are so many aspects of their music that has already been done by other Metal bands, and in a lot of cases, has been done better.

It's a true story that Ralf Scheepers, Primal's lead singer, went to audition for the singer's role in Judas Priest when Rob Halford left in 1991, and it's clear to hear how well he would have fitted had he been successful in landing the gig. Scheepers has an incredible vocal range, from high pitch screams to monstrous grunting lows, and it is put on show magnificently on this album. The problem is when you're listening to him, you find yourself thinking you're listening to a Judas Priest LP, which obviously isn't a bad thing because Judas Priest sound fantastic, but you get the feeling you've heard it all before and it lacks a special quality that's left wanting when Metal bands just rehash what's already been done. Sure, Metal is a constant, it doesn't follow rules or society - Motorhead being the obvious embodiment of that - but bringing some originality wouldn't hurt.

Admittedly however, the musicianship it great. With each new track comes a great new riff, and the accompanying thumping rhythm section makes a glorious combination that convinces you that it would be rude not to head bang.

There are a couple tracks I'll pick out as my favourites; Angels Of Mercy and In Metal We Trust. The first is a perfect template for the standard Primal Fear song; harmonies on the chorus line, ripping riff and excellent solo. The later is a step toward the symphonic side of Metal and almost could pass as a song by Dragonforce. It's a welcome diversification on what is a very steady record.

Verdict - 7/10
It's the Metal sound we all know and love, but there's always a thought in the back of your mind that makes you think, 'Where's the risk? Why don't they try something new?' It sounds fantastic; too bad we've heard it all before.