RIVAL SONS – Great Western Valkyrie [10th Anniversary Edition + Bonus] (2024) *HQ*

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2024 marks the 10th anniversary of RIVAL SONS‘ 3rd studio album ‘Great Western Valkyrie’. Originally released in June 2014, this album propelled Rival Sons to Rock N’ Roll royalty featuring the fan favourites ‘Electric Man, ‘Open My Eyes’ and ‘Good Things’. It became the first Rival Sons album to achieve Top 20 status in the UK Album charts (peaking at #14).
This very special ”Great Western Valkyrie [10th Anniversary Edition + Bonus]” includes the original bonus tracks from the album’s 2014 Limited Tour Edition CD. Jay Buchanan’s voice is stunningly soulful whilst Scott Holiday’s signature guitars riffs, licks and solos elevate the sonic landscape that Rival Sons create to another level.
Scott Holiday comments: “Ten years later, I can see ‘Great Western Valkyrie‘ was a real pivotal moment for Rival Sons. We were riding a wave coming off ‘Head Down‘, had some charting on previous albums, tons of press, and lots and lots of touring. We were firing on all cylinders. We also freshly changed the band’s shape a little by welcoming Dave [Beste] and introducing a lot more keys and organ to the sound (via the late, great Ikey Owens – RIP). The result was something visceral and urgent, while simultaneously feeling refined and polished all at once.”

With their fourth album ”Great Western Valkyrie”, the band expanded their sound with some of their most assured material yet. Opening track Electric Man was a boisterous slice of blues-rock, primarily driven by fuzz-drenched guitar and Jay Buchanan’s strident vocals.
Newly prevalent keyboards lent a distinctly 60s flavour to the record, Good Luck recalling The Animals in their prime, while Good Things could almost have been a distant relative of California Dreamin’.

With a range of influences evident across the album’s tracks, first single Open My Eyes was perhaps the centrepiece. Boasting a melody that sounded simultaneously fresh and like it had been in the pantheon forever, it dripped with soul.
Meanwhile, there was something of a cinematic sweep across later tracks, The Rich And The Poor and Belle Starr nodding toward Ennio Morricone and evoking the sprawling landscapes of the Old West.
A band on top of their game.
Highly Recommended

01 – Electric Man
02 – Good Luck
03 – Secret
04 – Play the Fool
05 – Good Things
06 – Open My Eyes
07 – Rich and the Poor
08 – Belle Starr
09 – Where I’ve Been
10 – Destination On Course
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Too Much Love
12 – My Nature
13 – Open My Eyes (Live at Juke Joint Studio)
14 – Long As I Can See the Light (Live at Juke Joint Studio)
15 – Where I’ve Been (Live at Juke Joint Studio)

Jay Buchanan – Vocals
Scott Holiday – Guitar
Dave Beste – Bass
Michael Miley – Drums

Pre order:
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