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Grifter: Grifter

Heavy (Blues) Rock

4.0/5.0

Ripple Music
Website Facebook MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  07.31.2011

Grifter is a colloquial name for a person who, after gaining your trust, steals your money or property through illicit means. A better known title is 'con' artist. Conversely, England's Grifter will gain your confidence with their skill and then deliver the goods: heavy groove-laden rock. This power trio channels the heaviness of early masters like Black Sabbath, and also contemporaries such as Clutch and Kyuss. Their heavy rock may blow out a woofer or two if played too loud, but you'll likely be too busy tapping your toes or grinning from ear to ear to notice.

One reason to smile, and investigate, is Grifter's clever song titles. These pique your imagination, and maybe wish you had a lyric sheet (or perhaps not): Alabama Hotpocket, Asshole Parade, Bucktooth Woman, and Piss and Gas. Fundamentally, Grifter let's the music do most of the talking. Heavy, melodic, and quite catchy mark the bluesy Good Day for Bad News or the southern-fried feel of Alabama Hotpocket. Strip Club, Bucktooth Woman, and the lyrically clever Unwelcome guest pump the rock groove. Grifter quite impressive when many of these elements appear in the same arrangement like Piss and Gas, a heavy song with variant tempo changes to mix things up. Sometimes, on the downside, it simple heavy rock with average results as on Young Blood, Old Veins or Bean.

Nevertheless, there's much to enjoy here, not only in the songs but also the musicianship and production. Heavy doesn't mean a wall stone; the sound is vibrant drawing out it each musician and his instrument. Listen to Preacher and the Devil for a representative example of this, especially the bass line.

England's Grifter delivers some clever and entertaining heavy rock on their first full-length album. It's not to be missed. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

England's Grifter delivers some clever and entertaining heavy rock on their first full-length album. It's not to be missed.

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Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]