Texas act Blues Funeral have dropped a nice little debut bombshell here in the form of The Search, a six-song affair dripping with elements of doom, early '70s proto-metal, classic hard rock, and even some more modern stoner vibes. The band, comprised of Jan Kimmel (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Maurice Eggenschwiler (vocals, guitars), Gabe Katz (bass), and Cory Cousins (drums), have pulled together their various influences, which seem to include Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Pentagram, Scorpions, Spiritual Beggars, Opeth, Rainbow, Wishbone Ash, and Blue Cheer, mixing it all together and coming up with a style that is exciting, fresh, but with a health nod to the past.
Plenty of sizzling twin guitar madness can be found throughout The Search, especially on the daring "Harbinger", a moody, slightly doomy hard rocker with dueling lead work that will remind not only of Wishbone Ash, but also early Scorpions with a healthy Uli Jon Roth flavor. "Autumn Dream" and "Planet Void" are crushing old school style heavy rockers, while the swirling Hammond organ paired up with massive riffs on "Paragon of Virtue" instantly bring to mind vintage Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Warhorse, Vanilla Fudge, and Iron Butterfly. The band mix some classic & folk elements in with the doom laden hard rock on the brooding title cut, and they close out the show with the massive brontosaurus stomp that is "Palmdale" a must hear for any fan of classic Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Pentagram.
The guitar work throughout The Search is excellent, and both both players also share in the vocals, another highlight which also gives a bit of variety as both have distinctive styles. The rhythms are pounding, the songs instantly memorable, and the production has a vintage feel. In short, there's much to like here on The Search, an album that signals the arrival of a young band in Blues Funeral who are more than ready to play with all the heavy hitters of the metal genre, and I can easily see labels fighting to get a contract in this bands hands in the not too distant future.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1) Autumn Dream
2) Harbinger
3) Planet Void
4) Paragon of Virtue
5) The Search
6) Palmdale
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
