Doing his damnedest to channel David Coverdale, Sammy Hagar and Zak Stevens, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Bryan Erickson has recorded a solid debut CD. The frontman of the Minneapolis hard-rock band Torok, Erickson played most of the instruments on Epiphany himself, drafting session player Greg Morrow to man the drums and Torok's lead guitarist Mike Torok, plus three other axe men who lay down a slew of solos. This is confident, tough-sounding hard rock that often borders on metal, never stints on melody and provides some major muscular moments with "Black Rain Falls" and its dark gang chorus; the huge, eyes-wide-open "Blind Man;" and the acoustic closer "Gone," which is Epiphany's rawest and most-effective track. It reveals Erickson's savvy delivery style and includes a devastatingly haunting piano hook.
Son of Eric provides Erickson (is that a play on words, dude?) with a credible musical outlet. He won't become a rock and roll star, but at this point, I don't think he wants to. Epiphany sounds like it was made from the gut, not the wallet — and in today's fragmented universe of musical pretenders, that's worth more than gold and platinum.
Track Listing:
1) The Truth
2) High Plains Drifter
3) Black Rain Falls
4) Born
5) Fierce
6) Blind Man
7) Good Bad Ugly
8) Lost & Never Found
9) Gone
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