GREYSTONE CANYON – While The Wheels Still Turn (2018)
Both GREYSTONE CANYON and their full length debut CD “While The Wheels Still Turn” are quite unique: this Melbourne based quartet has delivered one of the most original, peculiar but at the same time entertaining albums of the year.
GREYSTONE CANYON is a new band formed by young, skilled musicians, however frontman Darren Cherry is a veteran and he has undeniable talent and experience. Back in the early ’90s, with his band, he moved from Australia to London to try and make it in the UK, rather than go un-noticed in their homeland.
The band they were in was called Sanctum and they did ok, but they never made to the big time… bassist Brad Wiseman ended up in Paul Di’Anno’s band, while Cherry doing A&R for some recording labels like Music For Nations.
25-ish years later, Cherry is back in the business, formed GREYSTONE CANYON with young, talented musicians, and created “While The Wheels Still Turn”, a collection of great songs inspired by the best of the best from the heyday of the ’80s and ’90s.
And we are talking about Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Zepp, all mentioned as influence, but none literally displayed.
“While The Wheels Still Turn” is flawless homage to the bands which preceded them and inspired them, but not a recreation. GREYSTONE CANYON is unique, and have their own identity.
This glorious collection of kick ass songs just teases the senses and reels you in track by track. Mammoth hooks fused with technical brilliance and that old school charm just work so goddamn well, perfectly executed and tasty like momma’s home cooking – what’s not to love?
As you see in the album cover, there’s a bit of Western theme going on here. Not a massive one, but more to do with the feel of the album. Like sitting around the campfire and banging out some great tunes, which lean towards classic metal / hard rock rather than anything Country (and Western).
The album opens with a short but sweet acoustic piece that mostly serves to set the album’s scene and it succeeds at making anyone feel immersed in the oncoming onslaught of chugging riffs, blasting drums, and soaring vocals.
The second track ‘Astral Plane’ takes less than a minute to show that GREYSTONE CANYON isn’t taking names, they’re here for blood. It starts with a bluesy hard rock groovy riff of guitars and drums, but then… Megadeth-like guitars appear for a blasting yet melodic song. Don’t be afraid, the song is clean, powerful and very original, with some Queensryche on it as well. Amid the chugging riffs, there are great vocals by Darren Cherry that chill to the bone.
But GREYSTONE CANYON are not one trick pony. In fact, every song on the album is different.
‘In These Shoes’ has inspiration in classic US metal from the ’80s, and if you listen closely, also some Seventies. There’s excellent guitar riffs / solos – quite technical, these are trained musicians – crazy drumming, and vocals have really great layering as well, lending to the overall feel of longing in the song, ending on a soft note that seaways into the fourth.
The short ‘Cinco Cuerda Bandito’ (Five String Bandit) is a welcomed interlude with some kind of acoustic bass, which serves a s introduction for “Take Us All”, an epic midtempo song telling a great story, and even on the fifth listen, hearing the opening words chills me. I would call this the album’s best song, not only for the amazing vocals but also for the great solo and the ability the band has to create a setting with their instruments so powerful that I can see it when I close my eyes.
After this comes the “Sombrero Serenade”, another short instrumental differing from the previous with its much more vibrant acoustic / Spanish guitar arrangement. It reminded me of Antonio Banderas’ El Mariachi character in the movie Desperado.
“River of Fire” is a midtempo, semi-ballad song, but not your typical tune in this vein. It sounds like the modern version of an old cowboy campfire song but with a classic metal vibe and atmosphere.
“Path We Stray”, along with everything else on the album, is an original and enjoyable piece. It has a groovy rhythm section, and at the mid-part slow down for a great instrumental passage.
The band does an excellent job of making every song feel like an individual, as heard in the final “The Sun Sets”, aimed at a much wider audience than your average metal based band. It reminds me of the classic ‘No Rain’ by Bind Melon, but with a Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’ sheen to it.
GREYSTONE CANYON ticks all the boxes with “Wheels Still Turn”; originality, strong songwriting, some impressive musicianship and crisp production. It’s a varied, no cookie-cutter album, modern but at the same time classic with influences from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties.
Different, and very, very good.
Highly Recommended
01 – Keeping Company with the Dead
02 – Astral Plane
03 – In These Shoes
04 – Cinco Cuerda Bandito
05 – Take Us All
06 – Sombrero Serenade
07 – River of Fire
08 – Path We Stray
09 – The Sun Sets
Darren Cherry – vocals, guitar
Rich Vella – guitar
Dave Poulter – bass
Luke Wilson – drums
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