Artist: Spiritual Beggars
Title: Earth Blues
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 12th April 2013
Label: Insideout Music
Album Review
Looking at the band’s line-up, you might be forgiven for expecting something monumentally heavy, something... well, Metal. Guitarist Michael Amott’s CV includes ARCH ENEMY and CARCASS for starters, and keyboardist Per Wiberg is formerly of OPETH. Then there’s Ludwig Witt (GRAND MAGUS, ex FIREBIRD) on drums, Sharlee D’Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, WITCHERY) on bass and Apollo Papathanasio (ex FIREWIND) on vocals. But the band, now 20 years and 8 albums into their career, billed as “Sweden’s classic rock heavyweights” are very much vintage rock rather than metal of any persuasion. Not that I’m criticising.
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with plundering the back catalogues of the likes of BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW, UFO and URIAH HEEP for influence and inspiration so long as it’s well executed, and credit where it’s due, most of ‘Earth Blues’ sees SPIRITUAL BEGGARS doing a decent job. ‘Turn the Tide’ leans on Sab’s ‘Supernaut’ and Zep’s ‘Immigrant Song’, ‘One Man’s Curse’ has a glammy boogie combined with a solid chug - and has an unexpected Doorsy jazz-funk break that shouldn’t work, but oddly does. ‘Too Young to Die Young’ gets a bit ‘Paradise City’ in places, but y’know, we’ll let it pass. Similarly, “Rain keeps on fallin’ / fallin’ on my head / rain keeps on fallin’ / wishing I was dead” (Dead End Town) is a terrible lyric by any standards, but at least it’s delivered with gusto. But hey, this is a rock album, after all, and it’s one that assimilates large hunks of the big names of the last 40 years. It’s not about reinvention.
Tracklist
01. Wise As A Serpent
02. Turn The Tide
03. Sweet Magic Pain
04. Hello Sorrow
05. One Man's Curse
06. Dreamer
07. Too Old To Die Young
08. Kingmaker
09. Road To Madness
10. Dead End Town
11. Freedom Song
12. Legends Collapse
Line-up
Michael Amott – Guitars
Apollo Papathanasio – Vocals
Per Wiberg – Keyboards
Sharlee D' Angelo – Bass
Ludwig Witt – Drums, Percussion
Website
www.spiritualbeggars.com
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Total: 7 / 10
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