Album review: BLOOD RED SAINTS- S/T

Frontiers Records (Release Date 4.12.15)

One of 2014’s unexpected surprises in the world of melodic rock was a very impressive debut by Brits In Faith, unleashing a real vocal find in Pete Godfrey. They seem to have had a short shelf life, but the good news is that together with fellow Pete, drummer Newdeck, he has moved on to a brand new project who also promise to be a full touring outfit.

Named after a crack US speedway team with an album cover to match, the album gets off to a somewhat slow start with ‘Kickin Up Dust’ trying rather too hard to maintain the speedway theme, but ‘Mercy’ is a real grower with great guitar arpeggios from Lee Revill and some fine layered backing vocals and the semi ballad ‘The Best of Me’ shows real class. The ballads are outstanding on the album, notably ‘Love Set Me Up Again’, which in places has the classic feel of FM or early Dare.

However it took a while for the album to grow on me, partly as for all the promise on show, at times gaping holes appear in the songwriting such as on ‘Dangerous’, which quite simply fails to flow.

As with fellow Brit Nigel (Three Lions) Bailey, the wonder is that Pete(G) has only emerged into the spotlight in his relatively mature years. At times his vocal stylings remind me of the great Steve Overland and much of the album has he bright feel of modern times FM, notably on ‘The Best Thing and Wrapped Up in These Arms’. ‘Unbreakable’ has a Bon Jovi-esque vibe to it and other influences on the sound seem to include Harem Scarem, Firehouse and Def Leppard-esque vocal harmonies.

While not the finished article, this is on balance an impressive debut that makes the Blood Red Saints one to watch for 2016. I for one look forward to the opportunity to see them at the end of January at the ‘Just Say Yes’ fundraiser in Derby.

****

Review by Andy Nathan


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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)


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