HALFWAY TO GONE (s/t) CD
New Jersey's HALFWAY TO GONE are back with their third album for Small Stone Records, and once again this three-piece knows how to convince me with their metallic southern-drenched heavy Riff 'n' Roll. The album is a masterful collection that rightfully see HTG hailed as one of the top bands in this kind of Skynyrd-infected genre. But this album is not only a pure worship to the southern Blues. Opening with the pulverizing mid-tempo track "Turnpike", followed by the relentless fury of "Couldn't Even Find A Right", the album is almost flawless from start to finish, again using the combination of fast all-out rockers alternated with soulful emotional, sometimes instrumental tracks as "The Other Side" to maximum effect.
The groove-laden "King of Mean" is another great track, where guitarist Lee Stuart again shows his shining talent, not to forget the mighty vocals of Lou Gorra. The album contains two nice surprises in form of the solid Deep Purple cover "Black Night" and the final track "Mr. Nasty Times" that is just pure hammond-based Jazz-laden Blues, and takes the listener into a smoke-filled Blues club after midnight. Although the album is nothing groundbreaking, I recommend it to every fan of true and honest Heavy Rock. Put it in your player, sit back and, believe me, you don't need to skip a track. Maybe just to stand up and play air-guitar. Amazing stuff!
(KK)