You know how you get all these albums from “Classic Rock” bands and, when all you want is a no-holds barred, straight down the line album of rockin' great songs, and you end up getting all sorts of diversities such as “experimental” tracks, “ballads” or acoustic numbers, or the album's produced about as well as a dead parrot? Well – it's your lucky day – for the debut album from this Edinburgh band starts on fire – and never looks back.
The album opens with “River of the Dead” and immediately reveal the band's credentials and what they're all about – you have powerful rock goddess vocalist Laura Donnelly firing out lyrics of great strength with a lead vocal that surges from the speakers with great cohesion, purity, force and distinction, the sort of female rock vocal that you'd always hoped you'd have on a Classic Rock album. Guitarist Jamie Gilchrist pours out a barrage of solid riffs, surging rhythms and red hot leads that are the stuff of Classic Rock dreams, while the rhythm section of Frazer Marr on bass and Andrew Scott on drums, provide driving beats and rhythms that are far from simple but hammer down with immense effect, acting as the foundations on which the song is propelled. Added guitars, added harmony and multi-tracked vocals are the icing on the cake of what is one absolute belter of a beginning. “Into The Black” kicks ass even harder with a searing solo in the middle, faster rhythms, a memorable chorus, more spiralling vocals from Miss D and an absolute blinder of Classic Rock 'n' Metal, as it has that massive chunky feel, complete power hammering out and brilliantly produced as the vocals surge, the rhythms rage and the guitars threaten to go nuclear. “Wheel Of Pain” continues apace, this time another heady memorable riff beginning things as the rhythm section piles in to go hell for leather into the consummate rock song with Laura's vocal right upfront, multi-tracked on the choruses, lifting off like a rocket as the guitars go supernova on a barrage of riffs and heated leads, another track that can't fail to have you headbanging with the best as it straddles the line between memorable and mighty with consummate ease, another red hot guitar break totally jaw-dropping as the band drive ahead with intent. “Iron Void” begins with a super thick guitar riff as the huge sounding mid-paced rhythm section thunder down and Laura's vocal sounds positively menacing as she surges through the song with biting lead vocal and high-flying multi-tracked choruses, the song sounding absolutely massive as it rolls like an unstoppable juggernaut through your senses and into your head and heart, another perfect Classic Rock song. So it goes – 6 more tracks do not once lose sight of what's been laid down so far and by the end, you're positively breathless and in absolute awe of a band who know what real Classic Rock is, how to play it, how to produce it and how to bring us an album that is total perfection when it comes to songs and playing of this quality in a world full of rock 'n' metal wannabes – this is an album that cooks and then some – one rock album you have to own or your life just isn't complete – simple as that!!