The problem with bands that try to sound like
Led Zeppelin is that they never do: they sound like bands trying to sound like
Led Zeppelin. Granted, it's a bit more complicated than that with
Year Long Disaster. On their debut album, you'll hear plenty of other influences as well, from the energetic Southern rock shuffle of "Leda Atomica" (which actually sounds like a tossed-off collaboration between
Zep and
ZZ Top), to the
Cream and
Black Sabbath references that peek out from around almost every corner. Originality is overrated in rock music, and these guys deserve credit for embracing their influences without shame. And there are times when they succeed in breathing new life into these tired tropes -- "Cold Killer" is certainly not original, but the band fully owns that song's mastodon groove -- and there are also moments of startling originality, such as the complex and brilliantly rocking "Swan on Black Lake." If
Year Long Disaster can digest those influences just a bit more fully and get past its taste for staggeringly pretentious song titles ("Leda Atomica," "Galea Aponeurotica," etc.) then the band may be headed for great things. ~ Rick Anderson