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Blues Funeral: The Awakening

Heavy Rock/Metal

4.5/5.0

Facebook
Unsigned/Self-released
Review: Craig Hartranft
Added: 02.08.2017

From the fertile metal soil of Texas comes Houston's Blues Funeral, dropping their second album, The Awakening. For Blues Funeral old school is the new school for their resurrection and reinterpretation Seventies heavy rock and proto metal.

Blues Funeral with recording engineer Jeremy Dudman (second from right)

Blues Funeral has a plethora of peer influences, which you can read on their Facebook page, but a few come to my mind like Ten Years After, Cactus, Uriah Heep, maybe some Cream and Deep Purple. Musically, heavy rock gets a shot of metal edge, then a touch of blues, psychedelic, and fusion in the guitar lines. If anything Blues Funeral and this album is certainly guitar-forward. Twin guitar harmony is at a premium, but it's the twin guitar solos that are so masterful and attention getting. While not quite as prevalent as the guitars, Blues Funeral likes to embellish songs with some old school organ, Hammond of course, as within Shadow Of The Snake and Firedrake.

Of the songs, you'll find that retro heavy rock groove at the start with Shadow Of The Snake, with the thick riffage and prominent bass line. Awakening begins with sharp guitar riffs at the start, and then spins what seems like endless solos. Casimir finds Blues Funeral introducing some acoustic guitar, but later the guitar solos toy with twists between neoclassical and world music lines. The aforementioned Firedrake has more moderate pace and a heavier, almost slogging, doom metal feel, something akin to Candlemass. All the songs are wrapped in essential melody and harmony and rhythm and groove, yet also some sophistication, enough that some listeners might favor calling this progressive metal. I wouldn't fault them for doing so.

All in all, with the compelling guitar lines at the forefront, Blues Funeral's 21st century take on classic retro, metal-infused, heavy rock is both creative and entertaining. Don't miss this one. Easily 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.

All in all, with the compelling guitar lines at the forefront, Blues Funeral's 21st century take on classic retro, metal-infused, heavy rock is both creative and entertaining. Don't miss this one. Easily recommended.

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