The Sons Of Liberty - The Detail Is In The Devil
The UK's own Southern rockers, the Bristol based Sons Of Liberty, have followed well-received second album Aces & Eights with the slightly reshaped and bigger sounding The Detail Is In The Devil.
Produced & mixed by Josiah J Manning, the band’s third album features new vocalist Russ Grimmett, who joins the Sons ranks of Fred Hale & Andy Muse (guitars), Mark Thomas (bass) and Steve Byrne (drums).
New boy Grimmett puts in a good shift right from the get-go on the chunky riffed, mid-tempo rocker 'Time to Fly.'
The number features a change-up middle 8 that doesn’t disappoint (always the sign of a good song) before segueing into a wah-wah solo; the rhythm parts are then ramped for the song’s conclusion.
'Light The Fuse' pretty much follows the same mid-tempo template as the opener.
A competent if predictable rock and roller, 'Light The Fuse' wins out with its catchy chorus and don’t-push-me lyrical bent.
Lyrically, 'Turn This Tide' is the "we need to turn this thing around" Yang to the don't push me Yin of 'Light The Fuse.'
A heartfelt rock ballad that betrays the band’s Southern rock influences (particularly Lynyrd Skynyrd), 'Turn This Tide' carries a huge chorus and another good vocal performance from Russ Grimmett.
The song’s outro features the guitar solo backed by some very subtle Hammond, making the finale all the more impacting.
'Tertulia Time' is the definitive – make that derivative – party song, including obligatory references to getting "the shots in a line" and "have a drink on me!" etc. As such it falls into the formulaic, heard it all before category of party rock.
The slower-paced 'Walk With You' (again, with nice use of Hammond – kudos here to Josiah J Manning’s well-considered album mix) is a far better proposition (think Americana-roots meets a Skynyrd from Bristol), as is the up-tempo and riff-rockin’ 'What’s a Man Supposed to Do,' which is a guaranteed "Come on, come on!" crowd pleaser.
The down-tempo 'Hawk Men Come' could well be the sleeper of the album.
Sparsely arranged and built around another strong vocal performance (and some well utilised and delivered harmonies), it’s a song that showcases a good sense of dynamics and some innovative writing.
'Love What You’ve Got' is another riff rockin' number but here with a full-voiced AOR styled chorus; as such there’s a little incongruity involved but you can’t fault the drive the band employ on all up-tempo numbers.
'Libertine' is another of the stronger numbers, here courtesy of an interesting and bluesy stop/start riff device which provides some interest – there’s more than a little early Aerosmith influence here, further bolstered by one of the best guitar solos on the album.
The slow, semi-atmospheric setting of penultimate number 'I’ve Got The Sky' doesn’t come off as well as it should, primarily because of the up-tempo, folky finale that fades almost before it starts (you can’t help but feel the song would have been better served retaining its slow tempo mood).
The mid-tempo swagger of 'Well’s Run Dry,' however, makes for a strong finish.
It's also a song that, lyrically, could only be placed at the end (of both the album and, one considers, the planet’s natural environment – "no remorse, we’ve run our course… way too late, we’ve sealed our fate").
Another strong guitar solo in the mid-section helps the song along before the breakdown, followed by a return to the anthemic chorus.
There are some great songs (many with purposeful, real-life lyricism) on Sons Of Liberty’s third album, and Russ Grimmett is an equally great fit for the band.
It's also their best album to date, but it’s not quite the full package – on this showing, however, they are not too far removed from the killer album they are now capable of.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Produced & mixed by Josiah J Manning, the band’s third album features new vocalist Russ Grimmett, who joins the Sons ranks of Fred Hale & Andy Muse (guitars), Mark Thomas (bass) and Steve Byrne (drums).
New boy Grimmett puts in a good shift right from the get-go on the chunky riffed, mid-tempo rocker 'Time to Fly.'
The number features a change-up middle 8 that doesn’t disappoint (always the sign of a good song) before segueing into a wah-wah solo; the rhythm parts are then ramped for the song’s conclusion.
'Light The Fuse' pretty much follows the same mid-tempo template as the opener.
A competent if predictable rock and roller, 'Light The Fuse' wins out with its catchy chorus and don’t-push-me lyrical bent.
Lyrically, 'Turn This Tide' is the "we need to turn this thing around" Yang to the don't push me Yin of 'Light The Fuse.'
A heartfelt rock ballad that betrays the band’s Southern rock influences (particularly Lynyrd Skynyrd), 'Turn This Tide' carries a huge chorus and another good vocal performance from Russ Grimmett.
The song’s outro features the guitar solo backed by some very subtle Hammond, making the finale all the more impacting.
'Tertulia Time' is the definitive – make that derivative – party song, including obligatory references to getting "the shots in a line" and "have a drink on me!" etc. As such it falls into the formulaic, heard it all before category of party rock.
The slower-paced 'Walk With You' (again, with nice use of Hammond – kudos here to Josiah J Manning’s well-considered album mix) is a far better proposition (think Americana-roots meets a Skynyrd from Bristol), as is the up-tempo and riff-rockin’ 'What’s a Man Supposed to Do,' which is a guaranteed "Come on, come on!" crowd pleaser.
The down-tempo 'Hawk Men Come' could well be the sleeper of the album.
Sparsely arranged and built around another strong vocal performance (and some well utilised and delivered harmonies), it’s a song that showcases a good sense of dynamics and some innovative writing.
'Love What You’ve Got' is another riff rockin' number but here with a full-voiced AOR styled chorus; as such there’s a little incongruity involved but you can’t fault the drive the band employ on all up-tempo numbers.
'Libertine' is another of the stronger numbers, here courtesy of an interesting and bluesy stop/start riff device which provides some interest – there’s more than a little early Aerosmith influence here, further bolstered by one of the best guitar solos on the album.
The slow, semi-atmospheric setting of penultimate number 'I’ve Got The Sky' doesn’t come off as well as it should, primarily because of the up-tempo, folky finale that fades almost before it starts (you can’t help but feel the song would have been better served retaining its slow tempo mood).
The mid-tempo swagger of 'Well’s Run Dry,' however, makes for a strong finish.
It's also a song that, lyrically, could only be placed at the end (of both the album and, one considers, the planet’s natural environment – "no remorse, we’ve run our course… way too late, we’ve sealed our fate").
Another strong guitar solo in the mid-section helps the song along before the breakdown, followed by a return to the anthemic chorus.
There are some great songs (many with purposeful, real-life lyricism) on Sons Of Liberty’s third album, and Russ Grimmett is an equally great fit for the band.
It's also their best album to date, but it’s not quite the full package – on this showing, however, they are not too far removed from the killer album they are now capable of.
Nelson McFarlane & Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ