BONAFIDE – Flames (CD)

Sweden’s rock n roll machine #1 is at it again! They are definitely one of the best live bands in Sweden, no doubt. The energy, power and joy is only surpassed by Aussies Airborne (Well, f**k they surpass EVERYONE!!). The band’s new album, Flames continues in the old tradition with the, not surprising, lovely shameless vintage AC/DC flirts, such as Smoke And Fire and Bottle Of Jack. But, there’s way more to the album than that. Take a track like Power Down, which shows a new side of Bonafide, with a nice blues-quirky side with nice little twists and turns. Absolutely love that track. Pontus Snibb is not only a first-class singer, he also treats his six string with love and emotion, which definitely shows in his geetar majik in this track. The lack of brutal metal distortion is compensated with nice punchy bass guitar, a proof that heaviness ain’t just about the amount of distortion, but about the entire package and what the joint string forces create together. A power pack! Another cool surprise is the soul oriented influences in tracks like Written In Stone, which made me think of The Black Crowes and some vintage Skynyrd, also in the cool harmony guitar part. Keep A Safe Distance is another cool stomper which I think will go down well live! It’s only rock and roll, but I like it, yepp, I do!

Janne Stark

Label: Off Yer Rocka

Year: 2017

Country: Sweden

Super Vintage - Welcome To Mojo Land (CD)

Greek southern rockers Super Vintage, which features excellent guitarist Stavros Papadopoulos, also found in Freerock Saints, is back with a new dose of music. The previous albums have been high class releases both when it comes to music, production and performance. Opening track Southern Moon Rising is a cool bluesy rocker landing somewhere between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company in its vibe and feel. Delta Mud opens with some cool front porch acoustic guitar and slide, but soon moves into the electric southern rock living room. Classic southern rock, no more no less. Son Of Pain continues in the same vein, with some really nice dynamics and some killer soloing from Stavros. Let Me Be What I Want to Be kicks off with a nice busy riff and adds a bit of funky rhythms to the album. This is by no means any revolutionary album exploring new musical territories or extravagant new sounds. Super Vintage is like my Volvo. You get what you expect, what you're used to, it's trustworthy, works like a clock and you get that fine familiar feeling. Super Vintage sound like they should, and it's good!

Janne Stark

Label: Grooveyard Records

Year: 2017

Country: Greece

Black Mountain Prophet – Tales From The South (CD)

A smoky joint, people sipping beers and bobbing their heads to the groove coming from band in the corner. That’s the picture I see when I hear opening track “Feel Good Mama”. I really liked the band’s debut album, but on this one they’ve really dug down deep to find the true southern roots. Jarrod England handles lead vocals, rhythm/lead/slide guitars and harmonica, Bob Watkins plays rhythm/lead guitar, Brian Witty handles the bass and Chris Hardesty sits behind the drums. I’ve always had a weak spot for Jarrod’s raspy bluesy voice ever since I heard the outstanding Rufus Huff album. The production is very earthy, analogue and organic with lot of room in the drum sound, which I love. Tales From The South may not be as heavy as the band’s debut, but this one has a different feel with other qualities appealing to other sides of my musical taste buds. “Whiskey Don’t Make Me Cry” is very cool and laid back, with a touch of vintage Allman Brothers meets Skynyrd and a touch of Americana. It’s a very naked album, sounding like you’re actually IN the room together with the band. Even though I know Jarrod can’t sing, play rhythm guitar, slide and harmonica at the same time, it sure does sound like he does. Well, I do stand corrected - the album was recorded 95 % live in the studio, I'm informed, one track even totally live. Reacording live in the studio is a dying artform, which should be encouraged! Well done, boys!  “Milk Skin Woman” actually gave me a touch of another band I really love, Swamp Cabbage. “Bad Women” brings in a bit of the funk vibe also found on the Rufus Huff album. Jarrod sings this so damn good! There’s so much feel in his voice, it feels like he’s literally singing his heart out. All in all, different from what I expected, but really good different! Love it!

Janne Stark

Label: Grooveyard

Country: USA

Year: 2016