The Shape of Blues to Come is the sophomore album from the blues rock alter-ego of Godsmack's Shannon Larkin (drums) and Tony Rombola (guitar) who, along with Brian Carpenter (bass) and vocalist/guitarist Ray "Rafer John" Cerbone form the band The Apocalypse Blues Revue. These guys channel all their influences ranging from Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, ZZ Top, and The Doors to come up with a sweaty, sultry, testosterone fueled brand of heavy blues rock, dripping with Rombola's sizzling guitar licks, locked in grooves, and Cerbone's haunting, Jim Morrison styled vocals.
You gotta love Rombola's beefy tone throughout The Shape of Blues to Come, especially on distorted slide as you hear on the raging slow burn of "We Are One", or the tasty, Stevie Ray Vaughan styled licks of "Hell to Pay" and "To Hell With You". Images of SRV, Robin Trower, and Jimi Hendrix pop up on the shuffling "Nobody Rides for Free", while the lengthy, slow blues of "What a Way to Go" also brings to mind Stevie Ray as well as the great Robben Ford, Rombola's nimble & emotional lines displaying a side of his playing you don't hear in his main band Godsmack. His smoldering notes on the molten "Open Spaces" are enough to send chills up and down your spine...impressive!
At just over 40-minutes in length, The Shape of Blues to Come goes by quickly and provides for the right amount of blues rock enjoyment. This is a hot band and an equally hot album that proves that the blues is alive and well here in 2018.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. Open Spaces
2. We Are One
3. Hell To Pay
4. Have You Heard?!
5. To Hell With You
6. Nobody Rides For Free
7. Sincere
8. What A Way To Go
9. Noumenal Blues
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
