If your musical bread and butter is ‘70s hard rock, and there's a gaping Black Country Communion-shaped hole in your life following their implosion, then this impressive debut album from British five piece Inglorious will provide enough sustenance to nourish your eardrums. Let the reverence commence.
It's common for young bands to ape their influences when starting out, but as long as they bring enough of themselves to the table and aren't merely hollow copycats going through the motions, it's an acceptable - nay, essential - part of any group’s evolutionary process.
Formed in 2014 and featuring vocalist Nathan James, Inglorious wear their classic rock influences proudly on their sleeves while using them as a platform to express their own ideas and character over the course of some very strong songs.
From the soulful Whitesnake blues-rock of Holy Water and Breakaway's rip-roaring Deep Purple Mark III anthemics, to the malevolent bass quake of High Flying Gypsy - which recalls a leaner, meaner Kashmir - it's hard not to be impressed by the band.
That assuredness sees them indulge in some cheeky subversion too, with Warning and Until I Die starting like classic Purple numbers before turning expectations on their head by morphing into something completely different. It's almost the band saying: 'Yes, these are our influences, but we're gonna do things our way.'
That results in many songs boasting an impressive mosaic feel, merging different elements to keep things fresh. The title track melds hazy psychedelia, heavy artillery riffing and a pugnacious, granite-lined chorus, while Girl Got A Gun broods with moonlit ambience that's swept away by a head-banging bridge and a splendid hook.
There's a nobility about the old-fashioned way this album was made, with the band recording live and wilfully eschewing sleight of hand production techniques. Capturing such an energised performance has created an in-your-face record that packs a whopping great punch and allows you to pinpoint what each musician is contributing, leading to the conclusion that they're a very gifted and cohesive ensemble.
James, in particular, is the group's trump card, with his incredible vocals combining the commanding presence of Ronnie James Dio with Ian Gillan's knack for a piercing scream, David Coverdale's smouldering soul and touches of Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford.
There's still plenty of room for improvement, though, with the album needing more uptempo tracks. Only having two creates a slightly sluggish pacing, while James occasionally gets too histrionic in the higher registers and needs to drop that scarifying screech pronto. One bigger criticism, and this relates to all young rock bands, is the lack of truly memorable riffs.
Where's the modern day equivalent of Smoke On The Water, All Right Now or Whole Lotta Love? It may sound harsh to expect such greatness, but riffs were the building block of classic rock's legacy, and if Inglorious really possess the ambition to revive it they need to step up and deliver something equally iconic and timeless.
Way back in the chemically infused mists of the ‘60s and ‘70s bands were given time to develop as artists. Inglorious already have major backing and praise and if they stay together and are allowed to evolve, this could be the start of something very special indeed.
Inglorious Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed February 24 2016 - WOLVERHAMPTON Robin 2
Thu February 25 2016 - DERBY Flowerpot
Sun February 28 2016 - EDINBURGH Caves
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