Absolution

Issues

Most Blues albums sound better when they have a short recording time – there is something about the Blues that benefits from the occasional imperfect riff or note. That having been said, six days is a ridiculously short time to come up with the goods and all power to Absolution for coming up with a hot tamale of an album in just that time.

The music falls into the heavy Blues side of life and the band are really blessed with a terrific guitarist in Joe Fawcett – his playing burns with sterno heat and his vocalswork properly with the playing. Ben Gardner lays down fluid and creative bass – not the usual duh, duh, duh in the background – and he sounds as though his chops come from a number of different genres while drummer Doug Lang is a very talented and busy professional drummer and his playing here is a crucial part of the band’s sound.

The form is nothing new but the band bring their power and enthusiasm and the music throws back to the Progressive Blues trios of the late sixties and early seventies – you can hear echoes of Bad Company and Mountain in some of what they do as well as Rory Gallagher in his Taste days and even Cream, but it isn’t derivative – they obviously play their music from love and they have the talent to carry it off.

Standout track, for me at least, is the burning ‘Cross The Void’ but it could easily be the monstrous ‘Fool’s Disaster’ - you’ll find your own I’m sure.

Absolutely for fans of Blues and one of those albums that grows on you a little more every time you play it – this one should be on my deck for a while!