-=- SHGZ -=- * Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal * ARTIST..: Greta Van Fleet ALBUM...: From The Fires GENRE...: Hard Rock STYLE...: Led Zeppelin Revisted YEAR....: 2017 LABEL...: Republic ENCODER.: LAME 3.98.4 -V0 TRACKS..: 8 BITRATE.: 261 kbps avg SOURCE..: CD QUALITY.: 44.1kHz/Stereo SIZE....: 60.34 MB URL..: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/greta-van-fleet-mn0003612630/biography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Van_Fleet - TRACKLIST 1 Safari Song 3:54 2 Edge Of Darkness 4:28 3 Flower Power 5:12 4 A Change Is Gonna Come 3:17 5 Highway Tune 3:00 6 Meet On The Ledge 3:49 7 Talk On The Street 4:08 8 Black Smoke Rising 4:19 Total Playtime: 32:07 Do you like Led Zeppelin? Mitten State retro-rockers Greta Van Fleet sure do, and their debut long-player -- it's actually a pair of combined EPs -- delivers enough Plant-induced "Oh mamas," genuine Page-turners, and cavernous Bonham-esque beats to reforge the hammers of the gods ten times over. Comparisons to the band's 1980s doppelgSngers Kingdom Come are inevitable, but unlike those Zep clones, who arrived at a time when hard rock and hair metal were still fairly relevant, Greta Van Fleet are outliers, a trad rock band in an era that's more concerned with EDM drops than hot licks. Still, their unbridled enthusiasm for all things classic rock is kind of endearing -- their oldest members were barely of legal drinking age at the time of the recording -- and that fresh-faced approach to such well-worn tropes helps elevate the material. It's awfully easy to spot the Zep cut that served as the inspiration for each song -- "Safari Song" ("In My Time of Dying"), "Flower Power" ("Hey, Hey, What Can I Do"), "Highway Tune" ("The Rover"), etc. -- but there really isn't an iota of cynicism to be found. The future will not be too kind if subsequent efforts continue to climb the stairway to heaven, but there are worse ways to get your Led out. Ramble on, gents. * My first exposure to Greta Van Fleet was through the last 30 seconds of "Highway Tune". I've listened to Led Zeppelin since the early 1990s, but I couldn't place the song. My initial thought was that it's a lost track I missed off the recently expanded remasters. When the song finished and the DJ said it was Greta Van Fleet, I wondered who they are. They are three brothers and a friend from Frankenmuth, Michigan. Joshua Kiszka supplies lead vocals, Jacob Kiszka provides lead guitar, Samuel Kiszka plays bass and keyboard, and Daniel Wagner pounds the drums. The first two are 21 and the other two are 18. Bands that are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, who helped design the hard rock blueprint, are nothing new. We've seen a number of them: Bonham (featuring Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's son Jason Bonham drums), Black Country Communion (again with Jason Bonham), Great White, Whitesnake (their "Still of the Night" has been called the greatest song that Led Zeppelin never wrote), Kingdom Come, the criminally unknown the Tea Party, and Coverdale/Page (with Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page). But a band that sounds this good, this unimaginably close to Zeppelin is something unique. If you are going to draw positive comparisons between bands, you can't do much better than Zeppelin. As Josh says of the comparisons, "they are the best rock band of all time, so we'll take it". Nothing with Greta Van Fleet is coincidence. These guys have studied their Zeppelin both closely and well. Josh delivers many of his vocals with Robert Plant's signature wail, phrasing, and articulation, but the production also heightens the similarities as demonstrated in the opening yell of "Safari Song", which sounds like the voice of someone falling from Saturn to Earth. At times, the top end of his voice may be deliberately distorted, matching the limitations of 1960s recording technology. The vintage guitars and drumming patterns follow similar classic rock lines. However, there's nothing to explain, nothing to forgive, and no apology necessary. There are also no duds with the six originals and two covers in the form of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Meet on the Ledge" by Fairport Convention. But the best has been saved for last. "Black Smoke Rising" is the best rock song I have heard all year (that chorus!). It is the flagship leading an armada of songs. While some bands use the last track to bring closure to an album or lower the energy a notch as the album slows to a halt, Greta Van Fleet increases the power. "Black Smoke Rising" draws together all of the best elements of From the Fires but also sounds like it could be the opening track from their next album. At about the 2:30 mark the song takes a different direction for about a minute before the main song kicks back in. That sort of stretching out is what will take them to the next level. I want to hear them extend the tracks, really jam, experiment, and get out there. They are breathing new life into a classic sound, but they have the potential to make a new sound. Led Zeppelin is not just the sound of world travelers but also world builders. At some point, Greta Van Fleet will have to not just faithfully cover Zeppelin's routes; they will have to chart new paths and find fresh lands as they integrate and build upon their influences. The future is in worlds not yet discovered, not yet made, stars whose light we have not yet seen, suns we have not yet felt upon our faces. The essence of Zeppelin is not just encapsulation but enlargement and expansion+going beyond and staying in motion. Greta Van Fleet haven't written their "Tangerine" (heartbreak), "No Quarter" (ice), "Stairway to Heaven" (complexity), "Kashmir" (groove), "Achilles Last Stand" (gallop), or "All of My Love" (tenderness) yet, but it's on the way. We'll need to see how the catalog develops, but this could be the second coming of Led Zeppelin. For now they are the heir presumptive to the throne. Theirs is the hand that dare seize the flame. These will be the New Gods. The future for the past has never looked so good as it does now... * Having released their first studio EP, Black Smoke Rising, in April of this year, Greta Van Fleet are very well on their way to becoming one of North America¬s biggest up-and-coming rock bands. The Michigan-based quartet has since been selling out every show on their current tour as a result their success. The band- consisting of vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist and keyboardist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner- have released their second record, From The Fires, a full length album, or rather a double EP, that consists of the four tracks from Black Smoke Rising, along with four brand new songs. Rather than place the two EP¬s n their respective order, From The Fires blends the eight songs together, making for a more comprehensive and cohesive flow, as if the album was written to be in this order. The songs from Black Smoke Rising highlight just why Greta Van Fleet¬s debut EP caused quite a stir among fans and critics alike. Their lead single, (Highway Tuneÿ opens with a crunching blues rock riff and howling vocals and builds nicely with a steady groove and two more solid guitar riffs. The comparison to Led Zeppelin is completely unshakeable. From the rhythm section of Sam Kiszka and Wagner, the overdriven blues guitar of Jake Kiszka, or the vocal range and tonality, as well as lyrical structure and flow of Josh Kiszka, Greta Van Fleet sounds like Led Zeppelin brought into 2017. Across the four tracks from their first EP, the group covers hard hitting rockers- (Highway Tuneÿ and the original title track, (Black Smoke Risingÿ- as well as an acoustic and slightly folky ballad with a swaying swagger, (Flower Powerÿ, making for a highly dynamic debut. After hearing the four songs from Black Smoke Rising, it becomes quite clear as to why Greta Van Fleet are being celebrated for their music, and the hopefully greater effect it will have on returning classic rock inspired music to the limelight. With the additional four tracks that From The Fires offers, this is only heightened. Most notable, and perhaps surprisingly, is the band¬s emotional and timely cover of Sam Cooke¬s 1964 hit, (A Change Is Gonna Comeÿ. The soul track originally became something of an anthem during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960¬s and sadly, its lyrics feel just as appropriate for today. Greta Van Fleet¬s performance of the iconic track, however, is anything but unfortunate as the band channel a strong gospel inspiration to deliver one of the strongest ballads I have heard from an upv and coming- rock band. Furthermore, the additional four tracks boast an impressively intricate groove on (Meet On The Ledgeÿ and a fiery and crunching number on (Talk On The Streetÿ. For those who have yet to listen to Black Smoke Rising, From The Fires serves as an excellent entry point for new fans as the double EPs length is that of an album, making for a more engaging listening experience. Furthermore, the additional four songs only build on the greatness and excitement that was found on Black Smoke Rising, making it one of the most exciting releases this year from a new rock band. Upon listening to the classic and vintage vibes and soundscapes that in which Greta Van Fleet effortlessly channel, the hype surrounding them is more than validated and will leave listeners excited to see what the band does in the coming future. -=- SHGZ -=- P.S. ** Thanks *** *** BCC FNT IPC SSR *** *** For Knowing Where The Music Is At *** --===-- ********************* * NuHS we miss you! * *********************