Lord Fowl – Glorious Babylon (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 37:34 minutes | 429 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz | Front Cover | © Small Stone Records Co.
With “Glorious Babylon”, their third LP and second on Small Stone Records, Lord Fowl refuse to compromise this high standard, bringing forth the energy of their dynamic stage presence and dual lead vocals, as the song-craft of singer/guitarists Vechel Jaynes and Mike Pellegrino reaches its next level of progression. At the helm of BirdsEye Studios in West Haven, CT, as producer, bassist Jon Conine captures Lord Fowl’s vitality as only one part of the fray could hope to do, and though drummer Michael Petrucci has since left the band with Van Hartley stepping in to fill his significant percussive shoes, the drums provide the foundation of “Glorious Babylon”.
With that in mind, Lord Fowl is the perfect Small Stone label artist. This band is from New Haven (yes, the home of Yale). Perhaps that is something of a tribute to New Haven: that it can be home to both a posh university and a loud rock and roll band that draws heavily from the sounds of the past. On their new album Glorious Babylon, Lord Fowl shows again that its members might have been born in the wrong decade with grooves and riffs that sound like they were recorded in the late 70s.
There is a definite classic rock feel throughout the album. The riff in the title track brings Aerosmith o mind. The melody is based in the blues while delivering a healthy dose of rock and roll. Ultimately, this album is built on that ethic. Without question it is enough to be considered a groove-rock bible. At the same time, you realize that the rhythms and the riffs are based in the blues. You won’t confuse the tunes with John Lee Hooker or anything like that, but you can hear that the blues plays a significant role in the sound and structure of these tunes.
At the same time, you realize that Ozzy has just as much influence on this band as anybody. “The Wraith” is a great example, opening with a spacey riff that moves quickly into a bass-heavy sound that you can hear in any Black Sabbath song. Even the vocals in this song include a tip of the cap to Ozzy’s signature sound. And that has been the winning formula for Small Stone forever: riff-heavy bands that are greatly influenced by Ozzy Osbourne and other classic-rock artists. Lord Fowl certainly fits that profile. This album is full of riffs that are just as likely as Black Sabbath to inspire people to pick up a guitar. From the fist-pumping tempo of “The Gramercy Riffs” to the doom-laden burn of “Space Jockey” this is an album made for people who like to cut the sleeves off of their t-shirts and blast loud music from the windows of their vintage muscle cars.
Tracklist:
01 – Fire Discipline
02 – Glorious Babylon
03 – Get Lost
04 – Deep Empty
05 – The Wraith
06 – In Search Of
07 – The Gramercy Riffs
08 – Red Cloud
09 – Epitaph
10 – Space Jockey
Recorded and Engineered by Jon Conine and Lord Fowl at BirdsEye Studios, West Haven, CT.
Assistant Engineer: Steve Hill. Mixed by Steve Lehane at Rustbelt Studios, Royal Oak, MI.
Mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs, Ann Arbor, MI.
Musicians:
Jon Conine – bass, guitar
Vechel Jaynes – guitar, vocals
Mike Pellegrino – guitar, vocals
Michael Petrucci – drums, percussion
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