It may be axiomatic to point out that every generation has its musical heroes, but what is also true is that every generation also has its revivalists. Harking back to that most revered of decades, the seventies, Suns of stone are an unashamedly retro-fitted rock act who share a love of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Rainbow and Lynyrd Skynyrd and who kick up one hell of a storm on their debut album, playing tribute to the beloved acts of their youth with a surprisingly gutsy collection that emphasises the blues at the heart of heavy rock.
Suns of stone’s self-titled debut is a short record that seems to pass in even shorter order. At thirty-seven minutes it exits in the age of albums prepared for vinyl run times, and, thanks to its crunchy riffs and memorable melodies, it passes in the merest blink of an eye. First track ‘hold on me’ sets the tone with its blazing riff and gritty vocals. Nothing here is over-done, with the band adopting a powerful, live sound that undoubtedly represents their sound on stage. The delivery is energetic and full of attitude, as evidenced on ‘rise up’, the album’s second track that opens with a rolling, percussive assault before sliding into a lascivious groove, all throbbing bass and fluid guitar work. It’s classic rock with the only concession to modernity being the crisp, modern production values, and the result is refreshingly authentic and obviously a labour of love for the band. Stealing the title of ‘stormbringer’ from Deep Purple, the song is straight-up heavy blues with a powerful vocal performance at its heart and a strong groove reminiscent of the Doors at their very best, whilst the solo that concludes the song is fine indeed. ‘Another dollar’ is a harder edged song, with a sleazy riff and gritty solos giving way to Alan’s blue-collar blues as he howls “I break my back each day just digging for another bone. I have a drink of whiskey, light a smoke when I’m done…” You can imagine the song being ground out in a beer and whiskey soaked basement, as drunken punters roar their approval as they sink their beers.
Keeping the pace brisk, ‘talking to me’ is a classic hard rock number with a bouncy riff that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Purple album, Alan’s vocals cutting through the centre of the mix and perfectly complimenting the gruff rhythms and chunky guitar work. In contrast, ‘a little more’ is a darker, more soulful song that has a similar atmosphere to that conjured on the recent Joe Bonamassa / Beth Hart effort ‘Seesaw’ and a relaxed, elegant solo at its core. You can’t keep a hard-rocking band down for long, however, and ‘down the road’ races with the energy of vintage Hawkwind, the nitrous powered riffs seemingly tailor made for open-topped cars and the wide vistas of the American highways. ‘Sun don’t shine’ is similarly wide in scope, being a country-tinged barnstorming beast, veering between the pomp of Led Zeppelin and the southern groove of the Allman Brothers with aplomb. ‘For some reason’ grinds away beautifully (think QOTSA covering Black Sabbath) and then the album draws to a close with ‘Piece of mind’, a laid-back, southern-style ballad with a hefty chorus and a memorable melody that sits between ‘ten’ era Pearl jam and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I started writing this review some time ago, and one of the reasons it took so long is I kept finding myself getting suckered into just sitting back and enjoying the music free from the distraction of trying to write about it. It’s one of those records that is equally a pleasure whether you are sitting, trying to listen to it in detail or to kick back and enjoy a beer and a chat with friends whilst it rocks in the background. More to the point it’s just a pleasure to listen to – a warm, melodic gem that, whilst not reinventing the wheel, does a grand job of showing just how good the wheel can sound when polished to perfection. If you dig blues-infused hard rock, then this massively enjoyable record is for you.
