It’s been a long time since last Beckon Lane released an EP (two years in fact) and, in that time, the band have been through the gruelling Metal 2 the Masses process twice, dealt with a line up switch, honed their skills and matured their sound to an incredible degree.
Opening with a stair-stepping riff, ‘Fair Enough’ suggests that Beckon Lane have been absorbing a fair bit of U2 since their last outing. The production is huge with plenty of separation between instruments and a powerful all-round sound that perfectly suits the band’s increasingly lofty ambitions. Singer Lewis really shines, his voice leaping from the speaker with confidence and authority and the result is a hard rock ballad that is unashamedly nostalgic, the band throwing everything from strings to a climax that is tailor-made for lighters up and down the country to be raised in unison. Closer to the Beckon Lane of yore is the crunchy riffing of ‘Long way round’ although, as with the opening track, the emphasis is very much on melody albeit not at the risk of the power that courses through the band’s live show. Samer’s guitars are, once again, on point with some blistering solos electrifying the instrumental sections of the song, not to mention some seriously sweet slide guitar, adding a bluesy dimension to proceedings. However, it’s drummer Dan Brown who deserves special mention for his thunderous performance and it’s his heavy groove that gives the song an almighty back bone upon which to hang its riffs. Rich in melody, full of heart in execution, ‘Long way round’ is simply a great song and you’ll be listening to it on repeat for days to come.
A short EP, ‘The Long Road’ is very much about quality over quantity and it showcases just how far Beckon Lane have come in the two years since their last work. You certainly would not know this to be an independent release with regard production or song writing and there’s no question in my mind that the band’s hook-infused material is destined to reach a far greater audience. Their next effort can’t come soon enough… 9
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