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?