We last caught up with Swedish retro rockers Riot Horse with their stunning debut This is Who We Are back in 2014, and here they are four years later with the follow-up, the equally hard rocking & enjoyable Cold Hearted Woman. The 2018 line-up of the band consists of:
Joacim Sandin = Bass
Jonas Langebro - Drums
Andreas Sydow - Vocals
Nille Schüttman - Guitar
Musically, Cold Hearted Woman picks up where its predecessor left off, the band taking their love of all things Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Cactus, Humble Pie, Mountain, The Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Grand Funk Railroad to bring forward a sound that screams classic rock but is still quite modern in its delivery. The opening title track is a can't miss hard rocker, filled with pumping grooves and nasty blues rock guitar licks, Sydow's vocals sitting somewhere between Robert Plant and David Coverdale, while the more atmospheric "Moving Out of Town" ups the blues ante but still contains plenty of hooks. Simmering Hammond organ and scorching lead guitar work permeate the menacing blues of "My Only Woman", a distant cousin to Mk3 era Deep Purple as well as early Whitesnake, and images of Free and Cactus pop up on the sweaty, sultry blues of "Glad You Came", which features a guest female vocalist to share the spotlight with Sydow. "Shadow of the Moon" is pure Led Zepp homage, and a great one at that, mighty riffs flying all about the mix and complemented by some deft acoustic tones and thunderous drums. The bands love of the Black Crowes is never more evident than on the upbeat "Damn Whiskey", a raucous Southern styled rocker (more cowbell!!) with a never ending supply of groove and nasty guitar sizzle, which leads into the haunting slow burn of "Your Love is Gone", another tune that brings to mind Free, with its soft, bluesy textures battling heavy rock majesty, Schüttman delivering a great assortment of his wide guitar arsenal. The Hammond organ is back and sneaks up alongside jangly blues rock riffs on the mid paced rocker "Down On Your Knees", and it also plays a big role on the more funk & blues based closer "Feel My Love", which is sort of like a marriage of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Cool track, with a ton of groove.
In the end, Cold Hearted Woman is another highly successful release from Riot Horse, the band doing a wonderful job capturing styles and textures from the glory years of rock but delivering them within a modern framework. It's catchy, it's got never ending grooves, and it's meaty & heavy enough to satisfy all the hard rock fans. A winner on all fronts!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
- Cold Hearted Woman 5:05
- Moving Out of Town 4:12
- My Only Woman 4:27
- Glad You Came 5:37
- Shadow of the Moon 4:24
- Damn Whiskey 6:02
- Your Love Is Gone 4:26
- Down On Your Knees 4:52
- Feel My Love 3:09
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