For better or for worse, classic rock and metal seem to have undergone a resurgence in popularity in recent years, especially in contrast to the declining fortunes of previously “revived” subgenres like thrash. Spiritual Beggars aren’t one of a new wave of bands paying their debts to the seventies however. Instead they are a bunch of latter day metal veterans who have also played in, amongst others, Arch Enemy and Carcass (guitarist Michael Amott), Firewind (vocalist Apollo Papathanasio) and Opeth (keyboardist Per Wiberg).
Whether this has contributed to the balance they have struck between reverence to their heroes and, by the same stroke, an understanding of more contemporary songwriting, it is unclear but ‘Earth Blues’ is a refreshingly vigorous and well-constructed ode to the classics. There may be massive dollops of cheese around every corner but thankfully Spiritual Beggars inject just enough fuzzed up stoner goodness to counter the legion of problems that this could well cause in less delicate hands.
So, although there may be very obvious homages to the likes of Lizzy and Sabbath all through this record, there is also a sense of music being played slightly tongue-in-cheek by musicians who know how to rip off their influences without sounding completely sterile at the same time. Much of the credit for this lies with Papathanasio, whose powerful and energetic vocal performance is at the centre of the record’s finest moments like ‘Turn the Tide’ and ‘Freedom Song’.
Unfortunately he is incapable of rescuing some of the less enjoyable moments, which largely happen to be ballads that make little attempt to rise up out of the soggy mire of cliché, but as a whole ‘Earth Blues’ is a fun record made by musicians who understand the music they are playing. As such they have managed to sidestep many a potential pitfall on their way to delivering something that, for all its retro aesthetics, nevertheless manages to sound astonishingly vibrant even now in 2013.
‘Earth Blues’ is out now via InsideOut.
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Whether this has contributed to the balance they have struck between reverence to their heroes and, by the same stroke, an understanding of more contemporary songwriting, it is unclear but ‘Earth Blues’ is a refreshingly vigorous and well-constructed ode to the classics. There may be massive dollops of cheese around every corner but thankfully Spiritual Beggars inject just enough fuzzed up stoner goodness to counter the legion of problems that this could well cause in less delicate hands.
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