Never heard of Conny Ochs before, but Wino's Adrift has been a popular CD in my playlist for quite some time now.
This album landed automatically on my MP3 player; it was a no brainer for me. I just like Wino's acoustic style and sound, even if we have a different instrument choice. Well, all I can say, is that Heavy Kingdom picked up where Adrift left off. This time around, the great playing and the man's rough voice have found a soul mate in Mr. Ochs. They both share vocal and acoustic guitar duties. They have included some electric work too, adding ambience here and there. Not that otherwise it is mood deficient. The lyrical content is deep, touching and thought provoking. The music bears a sense of melancholy , even some sadness at times. The guitar playing of Wino is not the most intricate perhaps, but it sure has that attitude found in rock and blues making a player like myself want to pick up the axe. The fans will instantly recognized his riffing, leads, drop D tuning and that "bad ass" attitude, yep! Conny Ochs, on the other hand, has a quieter playing and a softer voice. In the end, the chemistry is there, making this release a nice and pleasant listen. There is absolutely not a single boring track off the eleven titles. My favorites though are: "Dark Ravine" (nice acoustic, riffing and chorus lines); "Dead Yesterday" (cool run moving from lower string tones and solo) and the bluesy, drop D tuning of the title track.
If Adrift was your cup of tea, well don't hesitate taking a second cup!
Track Listing
1- Somewhere Nowhere
2- Heavy Kingdom
3- Dust
4- Vultures By the Vines
5- Dark Ravine
6- Traces of Blood
7- Heavy Kingdom Jam
8- Highway Kind
9- Dead Yesterday
10- Here Comes the Siren
11- Labour of Love
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