Hotly anticipated, ‘Inglorious’, the eponymous debut from the ferocious British band, is a potent blast of hard rock energy that references Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake and The Rolling Stones at their very best. Steeped in hard rock lore, Inglorious does not break stride over the course of the eleven tracks that make up this thrilling debut and the band, fronted by the astonishingly talented Nathan James (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Uli Jon Roth), demonstrate a skill and passion which is sorely lacking from today’s musical landscape. Opting to self-produce the album was a brave move which paid off in spades because Inglorious have captured something spectacular in their own recording that makes listening to the album feel as if the band are demolishing your front room, and it’s a testament to their skill that Chris Kimsey, whose credits include The Who and the Rolling Stones, was happy to step back as he realised the band were doing exactly what he would have asked of them anyway.
The album opens with the punishing ‘until I die’, a track that opens amidst a whirl of psychedelic organ before exploding into the sort of riff that makes grown men weep, the guitars of Wil Taylor (rhythm) and Andreas Eriksson (lead) ably backed by the near psychic rhythm section of Colin Parkinson (bass) and Phil Beaver (drums). It’s heavy, blues infused rock infused with the alternative spirit that made Soundgarden’s ‘superunknown’ one of the finest albums of the nineties and, in many ways, Inglorious have tapped into that rich vein of creativity, producing the album that ‘down on the upside’ should have been in the process. Heavy yet wonderfully melodic, psychedelic yet imbued with the furious power of the quintessential hard rock band, ‘until I die’ is the sort of grandstanding opening statement that every band dreams of making, and it sets the scene for the album perfectly. Showing no sign of slowing down, ‘Breakaway’ is a pulse-pounding blast of road rock that takes Hawkwind’s ‘silver machine’ and sends it spinning off down the motorway, laden with a new, nitrous powered fuel mixture that leaves only blazing tire marks behind it. Taking a trip into Kashmir territory, ‘High flying gypsy’ is a blistering mixture of hard-hitting riffs, mystical, Eastern influences and, at the heart of it all, Nathan’s remarkable vocal performance. This is what hard rock should sound like, and, with Inglorious handing their own production, the mix is tight, powerful and utterly stunning. A track that does not immediately leap from the speakers, thanks to the astonishing material around it, ‘Holy water’ is a truly brilliant track that benefits from repeated plays. A song of great depth and power, it takes a bluesy template and supercharges it so that the Walter Trout-esque verse explodes into the sort of glorious, soul-infused chorus that makes you want to leap into the air when it blazes into life. ‘Warning’ initially kicks off with a grinding riff before the slide guitar comes out and we’re into the sort of late-night blues that hell’s own house band deploy for the amusement of the souls of the damned before a hard rock riff peals out form the shadows and we’re off into fast-paced Dio territory.
Slowing the pace for the acoustic introduction to ‘bleed for me’, Inglorious head off into Alter Bridge territory with a power ballad that stands as a showcase for Nathan’s ever-more remarkable vocal talents whilst Andreas takes the opportunity to wail on his guitar like a man possessed as the track reaches its earth-shaking conclusion. A slower, grittier number, ‘Girl got a gun’ recalls Joe Bonamassa at his darkest, the throbbing bass of Colin Parkinson underpinning the track before a blazing riff powered by a thousand burning guitars announces the arrival of the chorus. Another slamming track, ‘you’re mine’ has a swagger that speaks of leather, liquor and life in the fast lane only for the title track to leave it choking in its dust with its taut stop-start riff and sinister, progressive groove. Recalling Muse more than anything with its harmonised vocals and psychedelic feel, ‘inglorious’ is a real eye-opener, demonstrating the immense versatility the band possess. An album highlight, ‘inglorious’ is proof that the band may just be one of the most exciting artists currently active in the UK, and hints at even greater heights from album number two. As the album draws towards its end, the acoustic guitars come out again for the pretty ballad, ‘wake’, which is a cross between ‘wild horses’ and ‘patience’. The album concludes with ‘unaware’, a piano-led piece that wrongfoots the listener and blazes into intense life with a riff that is enough to have any hard rock fan foaming at the mouth when it kicks in. A perfect ending to a near perfect album, ‘unaware’ takes no prisoners and sees the band leaving as they arrived, with god-sized riffs and melodies to die for.
An early highlight of the year, Inglorious have produced a magnificent album that only benefits from repeat plays. For sure there are plenty of instant tracks there, sending the adrenalin coursing through the veins, but for every ‘High flying gypsy’ there’s a ‘holy water’ to take the listener ever further on a journey with the band and repeated listens allow hitherto ignored tracks to come to the fore. The sort of record that you want to play over and over again, and preferably at a high volume, ‘Inglorious’ is the sound of a band striving for a powerful identity and hitting the mark every single time. Entirely unconcerned with fashion, inglorious have, as a result, fashioned something that is wonderfully, potently timeless and this record will still stand strong a decade or two down the line. If you like beautiful, brutal hard rock with a bluesy edge, then ‘Inglorious’ is as essential as the air you breathe and will likely be considered a classic in the years to come
