BLACK WHISKEY – Heavy Train (2015)

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Released today, “Heavy Train” is the debut album from UK hard rockers BLACK WHISKEY, aiming to bring Classic Hard Rock back the masses.
Black Whiskey will openly admit that their sound and roots are firmly entrenched in those classic sounds of the seventies and early eighties capturing influences from Gary Moore, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company and even Glenn Hughes. Dig a little deeper however and we hear a modern take on the sound that also nods its head to the likes of Rival Sons.

Thankfully the combination of the eras and styles makes for an interesting take on a very well populated genre. It’s a place that sees ‘average’ fall by the side very quickly but given the influences mentioned, Black Whiskey bring something original and interesting to the party.
If you look at the history of the band members, each brings their own experiences from different genres and styles of music. Simon Gordon (vocals, ex- Xentrix, Hellfighter), Kev Ingles (guitar, ex- 3 State Blues, Swampsnake), Mark T. Parkin (6-string bass, ex- Prezence, Stargazer) and Rich Bannister (drums, ex -Nakedium) bring elements of NWOBHM, Heavy Blues, Psych Rock and Prog to the mix.
Underpinning it all though is a clear love of blues led Classic Rock and, well, that’s selling by the bucket load at the moment and as such, Black Whiskey are definitely riding the right ‘Train’.

The songs on the album are short, snappy and the majority clock in at under 4 minutes making them ideal slabs of Classic Hard Rock that should find a slot on rock radio with ease.
From the haerd hitting opener “Idol Rich” onwards, the songs are driven by some high quality guitar playing from Kev Ingles. Helped along by decent production which allows the drum & bass playing to fill the tracks without overpowering them, the songs sound warm and it’s easy to imagine them being played through battered, well used instruments, connected to valve amps that glow on stage as the night goes by.
Simon Gordon adds his own take on the whiskey-fuelled, gravelly vocals and the combination when layered over the top of the music works reallywell indeed.

“All Seeing Eye” with its Bad Company-like intro riff just reaffirming the era and sound that the band are looking to emulate, keeps the momentum going and gives Ingles the opportunity to show off his soloing capabilities to great effect.
“The Devil Rides” adds a layer of groove to the sound and its easy to imagine this going down well live on stage with a mass of bobbing heads showing their appreciation for the band.
“Stone Cold Comfort” allows the rhythm section to step forward and open the track with some neat bass licks supported ably by Rich Bannister on drums.
Mark Parkin’s bass then leads the whole song during the verses and it shows the versatility of the band that they can allow all of the members to rotate and get a stint in the spotlight.
If there was to be a criticism of anything it would be that Gordon’s voice does crack a little at the higher end of his range. To be fair to him, he does push himself and never plays it safe on tracks by just sticking to the lower, deeper blues sound he nails so so well.

The band carry on bringing that Classic Rock sound bang up to date with the excellent “Hungry For Bullets” which is definitely one of the highlights for me.
“Save My Life” sees the band bring back that heavy blues feel to the mix, before taking it up a gear and rocking up veritable tsunami of Hard Rock with the stunning “The Coming Storm”.
Title track “Heavy Train” is the band with a full ahead of steam, indeed a well oiled kicking machine which just Rocks.

With artwork done by fantasy artist Steve Stone who’s worked on behalf of the likes of Iron Maiden, author Stephen King & Fox TV’s The Walking Dead, the album “Heavy Train” looks as good as it sounds.
But don’t be fooled by its ‘heavy metal’ feel or the album’s name, Black Whiskey plays Classic Rock and traditional bluesy Hard Rock in its purest form.
This is good time rock n’ roll that you can really get your teeth into, so grab yourself a ticket and take a snort of Black Whiskey, because it’s time to ride the “Heavy Train”.
Very Recommended.

01 – Idol Rich
02 – All Seeing Eye
03 – Devil Rides
04 – Stone Cold Comfort
05 – Hungry For Bullets
06 – Save My Life
07 – The Coming Storm
08 – Heavy Train
09 – Tie It Down
10 – Can’t Kill the Fire

Simon Gordon: Vocals
Kev Ingles: Guitar
Mark T. Parkin: Bass, 6-String Bass
Rich Bannister: Drums

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Heavy-Train-Black-Whiskey/dp/B00RTOAQ9U
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