I sure do love a good 3-piece heavy rock and roll band. I'm
not talking the typical bluesy garage rock 3-pieces in this respect. I love
them too, but there is something to be said about this emerging style of heavy
as shit, dirty, hardcore punk n roll sound that The Swan King and several other
bands are slinging in our faces. Other bands that you are probably more
familiar with include the veterans Coliseum and rising stars Sandrider. I lump
The Swan King into the same cage as the above mentioned bands which should be
enough to spark a little interest had you not heard of this great band yet.
I first discovered
these guys with their album 'Eyes Like Knives' on bandcamp released back in
2011 on Seventh Rule Recordings. I remember totally falling in love with the
rugged hybrid form of hardcore/punk meets stoner/sludge. Vocals have that
gritty edge bellowing loudly and melodically amongst the searing riffs,
throbbing low end base and muscular drums. Talk about efficiently getting the
job done; the key elements of rock music are present with Zaffar Musharraf -
drums, Jamie Drier - bass, and Dallas Thomas - guitar and vocals. Not only is
there absolutely no waste on the stage, the music they bring is superb. It’s no
wonder, as the band includes members of both Planes Mistaken For Stars and
Pelican, a couple bands you may have heard of…..
The new album has been long awaited to my collection and
seeing it on the War Crime Recording promo list, I was more than excited. The
album delivers a fast and furious output veering from technical guitar breaks
to an outpouring of meaty vocal shouts. I can't get enough of this brand of
metal or rock or punk or whatever you want to call it. It deserves its own
genre. If you are a fan of Sandrider or Coliseum I strongly urge you to add The
Swan King to the circle. They have a number of releases available including the
full length Eyes Like Knives, a couple 7" splits and EP’s linked below,
all of which stand on their own. I will say the two full lengths are capable of
satisfying any heavy rock craving. Last So Long has enough clout to win a spot
in my top albums of the year list based on how much I've been playing it
lately. If you know me, that is a bold statement to make. Give it a try, let us
know what you think.
-The Huntsman
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