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Greybeards are Swedish, hailing from Gävle to be precise, but they don’t sound Swedish at all. Sweden is a hotbed of top quality, full throttle rock n’ roll bands, and 70’s inspired “retro” bands. It’s in the water. Injected from a needle… phonograph needle, no less. However, Greybeards are a break from the Swedish norm, in the sense that they are “more modern”. What defines “more modern” is up to individual interpretation, but Greybeards are more Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age than they are AC/DC or Zeppelin. Vocalist/guitarist Olle Westlund has a lovely rasping, throaty voice that might signal a 60 a day habit, but on the flip side, his vocals also ooze freshness. This is modern day rock, Foo Fighters at their melodic best, QOTSA inspired riffs (‘The Nerve’), thrown in a blender with some Gaslight Anthem (‘Beautiful Things’ and ‘Free’). Add some youthful enthusiasm and turn the sucker up to max. It’s also a LOUD album, not one to stick on in the background. It’s an album to provoke a response. ‘Fast Asleep’ is the closest that the album gets to what could be perceived as a classic rock sound, but there are so many twists and turns (even some shades of The Darkness) that help keep the feet firmly planted in this decade. The twin guitar sound from Westlund and Ingemar Mårtensson is delicious and high up in the crystal clear mix. There’s no doubting that this is a guitar album. There are also some highly contagious moments, ‘One In A Billion’ is a perfect slice of infectious rock with fierce melodies, as is ‘Beautiful Things’. Quotes like “anthems-in-the-making” are usually spewed out to get the review spotted, but in this case they truly are anthemic. It’s the same with the harsher ‘Come Undone’; fantastic fuzzy chugging riffs, a drum sound from Niklas Nironen that propels the song along at pace, and a beefy bottom end from bassist Simon Mojtahedi. Lovely stuff indeed. ‘Insane’ is a real highlight. The tempo of the song is breathtaking. Nironen certainly earns his keep, as his drum work keeps the song steamrolling on, but it’s the frenzied guitar work towards the end that really stands out. However, the stand out moment would be when Greybeards slow it down on ‘Peace Of Mind’. The tempo may have decreased, but the intensity remains the same. The string arrangements help give it a sinister edge, and the song retains an atmospheric vibe which builds constantly. If I was to say ‘Ghost meets Alter Bridge’ it might sound bizarre, but in places, I get a hint of Papa E singing ‘Blackbird’. Either way, it’s an epic few minutes. ‘For The Wilder Minds’ is available now and is pretty hot indeed, but I reckon that the best place to check out Greybeards would be in a live setting. Well, what do you know… the band are opening up for Bonafide any day now, dates as follows: 11 May – LONDON, Underworld 12 May – GRIMSBY, Yardbirds 13 May – MANCHESTER, Rebellion 15 May – YORK, Fibbers 16 May – CHESTER, Live Rooms 17 May – GLASGOW, Audio 18 May – ABERDEEN, Assembly 19 May – DUNDEE, Church 20 May – EDINBURGH, Bannermans 22 May – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Think Tank 23 May – CARDIFF, Fuel 24 May – SHEFFIELD, Corporation 25 May – BIRMINGHAM, Flapper 26 May – SOUTHAMPTON, Brook More information here. Review: Dave]]>
