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Here's always the deal with me. I will and do not buy an album until and unless I've heard it before. I've downloaded, traded, borrowed, listened to samples online among other things to discover new music but an album has to convince me before I put my money on it. It's an investment and I'd like to do it right. But even to that golden rule of sorts, there are exceptions and there are bands who I'll blindly buy a new album by. It's less of a loyalty and more of a trust thing and I'm always right when I do it. It leads me to the classic and the latest example, Slough Feg's "Hardworlder".
Cruz Del Sur Music, the record label from Italy that plays host to these guys and a bunch of other pretty interesting bands that might have fit comfortably in the nwobhm and 80s metal scene (think Brocas Helm and Manilla Road) actually put up the whole album for streaming on their website. I instead placed a pre-order along with a couple of ass kicking Hammers of Misfortune digipacks for pretty cheap. It takes usually a couple of weeks at least for any orders to reach India but this reached me in 5 working days. Signs point to brilliant so far.
Artwork has a cool comic book feel to it. So far, better than Atavism, which although was my introduction to the band wasn't the band's best effort by any means. For a band like Slough Feg, it isn't going to be difficult to surpass that one and after half a dozen listens since I received it yesterday, I'm almost fucking sure that this new one is their best album till date.
This one is a winner throughout - catchier riffs and songwriting, but at the same time more complex and at times rawer and a lot more 70s, melodic and epic than before, harmonies that are jaw dropping and the solos, their best so far. Guitars are thoroughly and incessantly ripping throughout the album. But here's why it easily beats the shit out of Atavism - the celtic influences are more focussed this time around. If there was one problem with Atavism, it was with the celtic parts that at times seemed like it went on forever. But this time it's Slough Feg's turn to dish out that perfect album. Most of the monotone singing ala Mark Shelton is gone too and we've only got the epic folky singing Mike Scalzi.
I'll go ahead and call this a modern day essential if you're into folk tinged old school hard rock/metal executed with flawless finesse, complete with superlative production. Also included is a cover by this Irish folk rock band Horslips and at the very end of the album is a cover of Street Jammer from Manilla Road's early days.
Slough Feg are Mike Scalzi (Guitars, Vocals, Songs, Lyrics, Co-production) supported excellently by Antoine Reuben-Diavola (Drums), Adrian Maestas (Bass) and Angelo Tringali (Guitars) rounding up the current line-up.
Slough Feg: Hardworlder
Year of Release: 2007
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
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