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Spiritual Beggars: Sunrise to Sundown

Seemingly not content with their 'stoner metal' tag that's followed them around for a number of years, Swedish supergroup Spiritual Beggars show plenty of '70s hard rock influences on their latest release on InsideOut Music, titled Sunrise to Sundown. The current line-up of guitarist Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, ex-Carcass), vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (Firewind, Evil Masquerade), keyboard player Per Wiberg (Kamchatka, Candlemass, ex-Opeth), drummer Ludwig Witt , and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo (Arch Enemy, ex-Mercyful Fate) have been together since 2010, which is one of the longest running configurations the band have had since their inception in 1992. Sunrise to Sundown shows the bands love for all things Deep Purple, Rainbow, Uriah Heep, Mountain, UFO, Trouble, and Black Sabbath, and it's one of their strongest efforts to date.

Wiberg's presence has become increasingly important in recent years, as his thick Hammond organ tones and lush synths are up front and center right alongside the sizzling guitar work of Amott on songs like "No Man's Land", "Diamond Under Pressure", and the scorching title track. Images of classic Deep Purple arise on "What Doesn't Kill You", as raging organ and Blackmore styled solos rip through the mix, with Apollo's powerful vocals soaring over the top. "I Turn to Stone" has that slight proggy touch thanks to swirling Hammond and creepy Mellotron, Apollo's emotional vocals reminding of the late David Byron of Uriah Heep, while the fat grooves, crunchy riffs, and sizzling lead guitar solos of "Dark Light Child" rumble and tumble in grand fashion. Plenty of psychedelia drips in on the groove laden "Lonely Freedom", and a heavy blues tone takes center stage on "Southern Star".

Spiritual Beggars now have 9 studio albums under their belt, and truth be told, they are all very strong in their own right, but there's something about Sunrise to Sundown that's really clicking for this band. Superb vocals, killer guitar work, lots of groove, and fantastic keyboard tones drive this album, but more importantly, it's the memorable melodies that keep you coming back for more. If you crave vintage sounding '70s heavy rock, you've come to the right place.

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!


Track Listing
1. Sunrise to Sundown
2. Diamond Under Pressure
3. What Doesn't Kill You
4. Hard Road
5. Still Hunter
6. No Man's Land
7. I Turn to Stone
8. Dark Light Child
9. Lonely Freedom
10. You've Been Fooled
11. Southern Star

Added: May 29th 2016
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2175
Language: english

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Spiritual Beggars: Sunrise to Sundown
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2016-05-29 11:11:10
My Score:

Swedish hard rockers Spiritual Beggars are back with a new album titled Sunrise To Sundown, released on InsideOut Music. Listening to this album is like being in a time warp and carried back in time, say forty years or so. For me that's a very good thing indeed, as I love '70s infused hard rock and that is exactly what's in store for those fortunate enough to seek out this disc.

The band includes Michael Amott, founder of the metal bands Carnage and Arch Enemy, on guitars, Ludwig Witt on drums, Per Wiberg on keyboards, Sharlee D'Angelo on bass and Apollo Papathanasio on vocals.

Sunrise To Sundown is an excellent disc starting with the very strong title track. Heavy rock with thick guitar riffs and excellent lead vocals with a slight raspy tone will bring you right back to the '70s. The solo guitar is also spot on. Another great track is "Diamond Under Pressure" featuring a huge organ riff recalling classic Deep Purple in all their splendid glory. The melodic chorus and darker edged riffs bring different elements into play while remaining as catchy as anything I have heard this year. The rocking metal of "What Doesn't Kill You" almost has a Maiden vibe with a sizzling guitar solo, heavy organ and a grandiose overall sound. "Hard Road" and "Still Hunter" continues the hard rock trend with powerful lead vocals and more catchy sounds. The organ is especially dominant in the mid-tempo "No Man's Land", where the drums are thick and heavy leading to a piano led section that adds a bit of quirkiness after which the heaviness returns with gusto as the band kicks it up a couple notches with some excellent riff progressions. "I Turn To Stone" will also appeal to '70s style organ buffs.

Sunrise To Sundown is quite simply outstanding rock music that fans of Deep Purple and '70s rock in general will absolutely devour and come back for seconds. It is that good. Hopefully they will get the recognition they so truly deserve.



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