The debut by this Northern Irish quartet is so reminiscent of Led Zeppelin in some respects that you sometimes feel like it's a Led Zeppelin tribute band that happens to do original material. Much of the similarity is due to the high-pitched, aggressive vocal tremor of lead singer Cormac Neeson. The band also plays with a riff-centered bluster that straddles hard rock and heavy metal, though they're a little more metal-heavy than Zeppelin, and not as inclined to vary the pace with folk-blues elements. This, unsurprisingly, is a large part of what makes them inferior to Led Zeppelin, even discounting their unoriginality. There are hints of blues and gospel in a track like "Preachin'," and slower, more reflective passages in cuts like "Always," where the milder influence of Free and Paul Rodgers also makes itself felt. Overall, however, the classic hard rock-molded strut is a little unrelentingly high-octane, and the riffs and songwriting not up to the level of their obvious inspirations.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo