This band will be very large

Somehow creeps me the feeling that since the new millennium of the new millennium, almost everything is becoming increasingly more retro. Some refer to the sixties, the seventies or eighties to the other and very few even in the nineties strangely pale remaining (there was something other than grunge rock, Euro Dance and Britpop Oh: boy bands).

On the slightly Spätsechziger- and very seventies-heavy quartet Rival Sons from sunny California I recently encountered, as could be heard on the CD insert a rock magazine the great song "Open My Eyes". Just the beginning: Was not the mighty, heavenly drums echoing sound of John Bonham of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" ?? The singer once again reminded somehow of the great Paul Rodgers of Free / Bad Company. And where I had only this powerful standard guitar riff ever heard very similar? It did not occur to me.

Anyway, I was impressed and ordered me promptly the vinyl edition of GREAT WESTERN VALKYRIE, because such music just needs the genuine and true, that is: a turntable.

The Rival Sons were, as I repeatedly read, long time primarily as Led Zep-Clones, and this reputation, they are also quite meet with the four songs on the first page of the first LP. There is this special atmosphere, this rawness of Lead Zeppelin from times of "Whole Lotta Love" and especially in "Secret" is behaving Jay Buchanan partially exactly distorted fervent as the early Robert Plant.

Then turning the LP to - and appears at once as a completely different band playing. Even in the texts you go suddenly no longer just about women and all that 'man' with them to make endeavors.

"Good Things" opens with bass sounds like "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King, before the song develops into a 60s-mid-tempo direction. Soft organ sounds, a 'narrative' guitar, and Buchanan sings soulful things like 'Enjoy it right now, Because You Never Know When It's gonna end'. Wonderful.

After "Open My Eyes" (see above), which is already a classic, followed by a at least as great love song called "Rich and the Poor". Here, Jay Buchanan's voice suddenly this little hoarse Jim-Morrison-timbre: 'The rich and the poor, that's how people behave / She said I'm gonna show you how babies are made' he sings, and then comes this' Ooooh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, oooooh 'that you never want to forget in life and will. An incredible number.

LP 2, page 1 starts with the epic "Belle Starr" that you can not hear often enough to capture its true greatness. And Scott Holidays tears driving guitar playing at the end triumphed easily over the gravity of the planet.

"Where I've Been" poaches unabashedly in the most beautiful Balladengefilden of Free and Bad Company. Here's Jay Buchanan Paul Rodgers, but at the same time he remains miraculously himself. If the song with just over six minutes little too long? Could well be, but that depends on the particular mood of the listener.

Finally, then seven minutes, "Destination on Course", which reminds partially strongly Richie Blackmore's composition and guitar style and certainly of "Catch the Rainbow" is not entirely unaffected, before then again Led Zeppelin prevail at the end and some sort of Jimmy -Page-live-on-stage-atmosphere brings the number a little home 'experimental'. Just great.

The Rival Sons are a passionate rock band whose singer is just as excellent as the rest of the troops. If an album like GREAT WESTERN VALKYRIE appeared decades ago, it would have long since been legendary status, and songs like "Open My Eyes", "Rich and the Poor", "Belle Starr" or "Destination on Course" would any classic rock pendant know by heart.

The vinyl edition features two heavy, well-pressed LPs whose bass and drum sound even brings the walls even in smaller boxes and moderate level in other rooms to vibrate. LP 2, page 2 is unrecorded, but shines with the design of two winged, mutually threatening lions' heads, which is located on the inner linings of the plate.

Not so nice: It lacks the lyrics. And: has during the vinyl editions of other albums to date always by lying with a pretty cards, on which the code is located on the mp3 downloads, here one looks for literally the A ... from before being him finally tiny on the inner shell of the second LP finds. Something I call Käuferveräppelung in pure culture, especially since you can decipher the long confusing code only with a magnifying glass. Hey, the average listener of the tape is not 13 but 53 !! ;-)

Oddly began the career of the chart 'rival sons' just in Switzerland (!), Where her second album Pressure & Time landed in 2011 at No. 33. HEAD DOWN then reached 2012, the first time average rankings in England and Germany, while GREAT WESTERN VALKYRIE even 14th place in England and number 24 finished in this country. And in their home country, where just so far nothing had gone, jumped after all space 125 (!) Of the Billboard charts out. I prophesy: ​​Sometime this band will be large everywhere.

'Too many people, coming out of doors, in and out of my life, in the night, in the day, I've got to make it on my own' (Rival Sons: "Open My Eyes").