Devil's Gate Music
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“There’s a big wide world out there, and it’s yours”. A decent mantra for any young band to live by, and thanks to social media and groups like NWOCR, the world can come to you now. This self-titled debut album, features a few moments where Midlands based Ryders Creed wax lyrical about what being in a band, and what life on the road means to them. The aforementioned ‘Set You Free’ talks about widening your horizons and aiming high, rather than sitting around bitching and moaning… ”When you know what you can achieve, it can set you free”. ‘On The Road’ begins with, what else but, a sleazy, dirty guitar intro. There’s a bit of a Joe Perry feel to the licks, so it gets a two thumbs up from moi. The fact that the track doesn’t rush to get anywhere also sits well with me. It’s half a minute or so of the band jamming before Hulme comes in with “I ain’t never been this sore before… I just can’t wait to get back on the road”, and you believe him. Although, the parent in me does want to put a collective arm around the lot of them on the acoustically driven ‘The Only Thing I’m Good At’, and offer a few words of encouragement. This one is a bit of a change of pace, and although you know that the band are about to come in all guns blazing at any time, it’s still a thrill when they do. The twin guitars of Lee Spencer and Myles Cooper are crucial to the sound, and everything begins with them. ‘Headspace’ opens the album with a spiffing guitar intro that sets the tone (with a little bit of a Slash vibe going on in the background mid song). Not far behind is the stellar bass work from Richard Clark who is all over the track, and some lovely drum action from Lee Gilbert. The sticksman seems to have more than just a traditional rock drummer feel to him. The intro to ‘Promise’, for instance, has a fantastic funk and soul vibe, so much so that I was expecting the band to break into an Isaac Hayes cover. Shaft done Midlands 2018 style? You’re damn right, can you dig it? Likewise, ‘Ryder’ might have a 12 bar boogie running through it, but there is a swing to the drum sound that you don’t hear very often these days. Ryders Creed have only been a band for just over a year. They’re in that ‘settling in’ period where they are still getting comfortable with each other and searching for the path that they want to take. It’s all Rock ‘n’ Roll really, so they shouldn’t stress too much about changing styles or putting their hat in one particular ring. A decent, strong debut where misfires are few and far between. Available now through Off Yer Rocka. Review: Dave ]]>
