GYPSYHAWK – Revelry & Resilience (2012)
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Pasadena US rockers GYPSYHAWK are a classic hard rock four piece band finding
their inspiration in the sounds of the late seventies. Their music revisits and distils all the best flavours into their own inventive brew of rock music.
“Revelry & Resilience” is the band’s 2nd effort, a solid and convincing slice of retro hard very well done.
The band began in 2008 when bassist and vocalist Eric Harris (ex-Skeletonwitch, Sorcerer) linked up with guitarist Andrew Packer (Suns Beneath). With a full line-up the band gigged hard sharing their rock n roll sounds, music which was distinct from what their previous bands had made.
2010 saw the release of their debut CD, but also later a change of members when guitarist Erik Kluiber (ex-White Wizzard and currently Overloaded) and drummer Ian Brown joined. This was too arguably the moment the band truly discovered their sound and became what Harris and Packer had envisaged.
Unconcerned with trends, Gypsyhawk sound like they’ve just dropped in from 1977, but armed not only with some glorious half-inched Thin Lizzy riffs, the have an updated approach on some aspects such as a modern drum sound which makes them different from the crowd playing this style.
It’s a new dawn and it’s a new day and the new bands are playing the old stuff, because none of them were alive when it was new. “Revelry & Resilience” is a stunning blend of fantasy and science fiction-inspired lyrics set against a backdrop of booty-shaking heavy rock.
“Overloaded” opens the gate to the energy and fun of the album, a track which instantly pulls one into a mesh of feisty riffs and strong rhythms. A track with late seventies Judas Priest meets Aerosmith confectionary perfection.
The strong start is immediately improved upon by the contagious strides of “The Fields”. The song unleashes a teasing hook from the start to infect the senses before its mischievous groove runs amok. They remind me Riot on the melodious riffage.
The twin-ax attack of Erik Kuibler and Andrew Packer is quite potent on “Galaxy Rise,” with some lead guitar work that feels a bit reminiscent of Ace Frehley. Riff-wise, the duo — with Harris rumbling underneath — are especially good in “Hedgeking” too.
“Night Songs From The Desert” slows things down a bit, with a beautiful intro featuring a high electric guitar soloing mournfully over the album’s quietest instrumentation. It’s a bit of a shame that the band only saw fit to include one slower track. Then again, the energy level is one of the charms here.
Harris isn’t the world’s most dynamic vocalist, but he gets the job done here. When he’s called on to stretch out a bit — on “Silver Queen,” especially — he pulls it off, but he’s largely content to explore a range that lets him sound like a new century Phil Lynott.
One of the most interesting song in the album is “State Lines”. With all the classic this and all the traditional that, this is Gypsyhawk taking the format and making it their own, from the bass intro and the frenetic pace to the excellent guitar trade-offs and slaterock-solid drumming.
The disc wraps up with a cover of Rick Derringer’s timeless “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” that is ok, but looks unnecessary here.
“Revelry & Resilience” is a more than good retro hard rock album with songs which excite and please thoroughly.
They have a familiarity to them like old friends but with the resourceful thought and fresh energies Gypsyhawk infuses them with, makes for something all rock fans should get a big buzz from.
“Revelry & Resilience” while still honoring the sounds of the 1970s, adds a new contemporary touch to this classic style.
Fans of bands like UFO, Thin Lizzy, early Riot and Classic Rock in general, you’re going to crank this one up with pride.
Very Good.
01 – Overloaded
02 – The Fields
03 – Hedgeking
04 – Frostwyrm
05 – Galaxy Rise
06 – 1345
07 – Night Songs from the Desert
08 – The Red Wedding
09 – Silver Queen
10 – State Lines
11 – Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo
Andrew Packer – Guitars
Eric Harris – Bass, Vocals
Ian “Pee Pee Rider” Brown – Drums
Erik “Ron Houser” Kluiber – Guitars
BUY IT !
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