LORD FOWL (Moon Queen) CD
Hailing from New Haven, Connecticut, LORD FOWL belong to the sort of bands which love the hard rock of the 1970's. That does not mean however that they try to mimic that music at any cost. 'Moon Queen' is a modern and refreshing take on the good old stuff and precisely herein lies the appeal of their second album, which is also their 2012 debut for Small Stone Records. Add to this a natural instinct for great and catchy songs with a high recognition value, and ready is one of the most positive hard rock surprises of this year. Both guitarists Vechel Jaynes and Mike Pellegrino share the lead vocals and both of them do an excellent job. The dark, churning guitar riffs complete the powerful atmosphere of these 12 songs, but also the tight rhythm section consisting of bassist Jon Conine and drummer Don Freeman knows how to deliver a convincing performance.
The variety of this album is also noteworthy, as it mixes hard rockers like the opening double shot of 'Moon Queen' and 'Touch Your Groove' with darker, more complex cuts such as 'Pluto' or 'Woman King'. 'Streets Of Evermore' is heavily metal orieted and knows to impress me with its crispy, super-infectious riffs and a strong hookline. It's definitely one of my favorite cuts, but I also dig 'Mutate' which clearly shows that LORD FOWL have a soft spot for Soundgarden just like me. Some songs need time to grow, but there is nothing wicked about this at all.
With 'Moon Queen', LORD FOWL should move to the forefront of the classic rock scene. And it even doesn't matter that not every song is a killer, because the great ones make up the majority of this album. The artwork (done by Alexander von Wieding) is pretty nice too, and matches the music well. Despite the obvious influences from the 1970's, 'Moon Queen' has a timeless quality and the potential to become a future classic. So, if you are a fan of rock that stands the test of time, expand your horizons and buy this album!
(KK)