THREE SEASONS (Life's Road) CD
Those who believe that Sartez, who was the singer for Siena Root for a certain amount of time, vanished into thin air will be set right, because 'Life's Road' is the debut album of his new band THREE SEASONS. Just like Siena Root, THREE SEASONS have settled comfortably in the very early 1970's. Thereby, they try, to a great extent successfully, to achieve the best possible authenticity. As such, it would come as no surprise if this album would have been released in 1972. It goes without saying that a lot of legendary rock bands went through my head when I listened to 'Life's Road' for the first time. This begins with Cream and does not end at all with The Jimi Hendrix Experience and early Santana. But this also goes to show that this album is multi-layered and complex in places.
Their songs are not limited to the blues-based heavy rock but also include a bit of funk rock, 1960's psychedelia or latin rock. Tradition is more important here than musical renovation and it's obvious that this three Swedish guys see themselves as preservers and not as revivers. I have no problem with that, so long as the musical workmanship is at least as good as here. Sartez shows that he's also a talented guitarist, although I must admit that I never was a huge fan of him as a vocalist. This slightly dramatic touch in his style tends to be the enemy of the good. At least, for my taste. In contrast, I particularly like the moments where THREE SEASONS start to focus on jamming. 'Each to their Own' is a perfect example for this where they've integrated a jazzy middle section which fits perfectly into the flow. This is one of the three more epic tracks where the band also showcases its musical stamina.
But there are also some hard rockin' cuts, in which a hammond organ is used. And even though I immediately think of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, the funk infected rhythm of the opener 'Too Many Choices' or 'Feel Alive' shall ensure that this similarity is of only short duration. Another striking feature is the rich instrumentation. A couple of guest musicians were invited to the recording session and when necessary, the songs contain for example acoustic guitars, sitar or a mellotron. This results in a very atmospheric album that has also a convincing emotional depth. THREE SEASONS deserves to be discovered by all those who cannot get enough of 1970's rock. 'Life's Road' is a very good start and I wouldn't be surprised if they appear at one of the forthcoming Burg Herzberg festivals.
(KK)