One of England's
finest, Grifter, are back with their
second album, 'The Return Of The Bearded Brethren', again courtesy of Ripple
Music. As on their first wax, the self-titled debut, they deliver in-your-face,
knuckle-dragging rock'n'roll spiced up with a dollop of Southern Rock mixed
with an air of Black Sabbath's devil-may-care attitude. The only real change is the music is even
better than before! You don't believe me? Well, read on and find out how this South-East English bulldozer of a band has gone from strength to strength.
Formed back in 2003, Grifter
have had a long time to create and hone their sound to perfection through one
demo, 2 EPs, a split single and of course the debut album, Grifter, as well as
touring up and down the British Isle countless times. This dedication has
certainly paid off immensely, since their sophomore release is nothing but
amazing. Personally, having been brought up on 70's heavy rock a la Thin Lizzy,
Deep Purple, Rainbow, Black Sabbath et al, to hear these guys' excellent modern
take on the music of my youth is so rewarding. Needless to say, that big shit
eating grin will not leave my face while 'The Return Of The Bearded Brethren'
is playing.
In true and proper rock
fashion the band goes right for the balls in opener 'Black Gold'. Apart from
blasting my head to pieces the way I want it, the song deals with my second
favourite beverage, coffee, so I'm in right from the start. Beer and single
malt whiskey share the top spot....but I'm straying from the subject, damn it.
Alcohol and coffee can do that to you. 'She Mountain'
picks up the thread and is very heavy in the riff section showing no mercy at
all. Phil's bass guitar is deep and thundering, sounds kind of like Lemmy
actually while Foz is banging away like Bonzo, allowing Ollie to rip it up on
the axe. Lowdown and dirty slide-infused blues sets the tone for 'Paranoiac
Blues'. Kind of slowish at first, the song erupts into a blistering rocker
halfway through only to revert to the blues after a fantastic slide guitar solo. Good stuff
indeed! Oh yeah people...oh yeah, 'Princess Leia' is the shit alright! To be
honest, I believe this song epitomizes the Grifter sound 100%. There's no other
way for me to describe it. Pedal to the metal, up front and earth shattering
just the way I have always perceived the band. Bringing down the tempo
a notch 'Bow Down To The Monkey' rumbles along to the crushing bass guitar
allowing the guitar and the drums to go bonkers in the choruses. The mix of
blues and heavy rock is second to none.
Aaaaah listen to the guitar
in the beginning of 'Braggards Boast', it's ripping through my skull like a
damn chainsaw and the carnage increases a thousandfold once the rest of the
band joins in. Fast and heavy just like it should be. 'It's Not Me, It's You'
is a bluesy southern rocker if there ever was one. Mid-paced in tempo, there's
a lot of ZZ Top in this song and who can complain? Like all the other
compositions on 'The Return Of The Bearded Brethren', this one simply cements
Grifter's rise to the top...excellent is not enough praise. Groovy, full of
soul and upbeat musically like a drunk on his high, 'Fire Water' lyrically is
about, yes you got it...all the pros and cons of drinking. So the guys actually
sing about two of my favourite beverages and kudos to them for that. The title track follows and it picks up the
pace a bit. It reminds me slightly of the NWOBHM movement, mainly in the song
structure but also in the guitar sound. And again, Phil's bass guitar sounds
like Lemmy's and I love that. Ending with a rousing rendition of Black
Sabbath's 'Fairies Wear Boots' turns out to be a really good thing. Doing a cover can be
catastrophic but no need to worry because Grifter breathes new life into this
one. Also I think it was a wise move to
put it last, allowing the band's own songs to shine in their own
right.
I've been eagerly awaiting
the release of this album and any worry I had about 'the second-album-syndrome'
was totally unfounded. You know you are listening to a great band when each
new release surpasses the previous as is the case with Grifter. The sound they
had on 'Grifter' is still present, the only difference being it is even better
now. The production sounds more organic, it's fuller and richer giving
Grifter's shoot-to-kill nature free reign. Anyone ignoring this album is way
beyond daft because this is a top release!
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