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Album Reviews : Blues Pills – Blues Pills

By on August 5, 2014

Alright, here’s the deal. I don’t really know where or how to start this review, because this is something special and quite unique. Before I asked Metal Obsession to review this album, I had never really listened to any of Blues Pills’ demo stuff, but I had heard from a lot of people around me that they are special, really special.

Let’s start with the basic stuff. Blues Pills is a four-piece band, with members from the USA, France and my beloved home country Sweden. As you might’ve guessed from the band name, their sound is bluesy, but it is a lot more than that. Have you ever before heard of a blues band signed to German powerhouse record label Nuclear Blast? Nope, me neither. Blues Pills play some sort of intense, blues infused rock, and it is oddly addictive. Elin Larsson’s vocals are truly special, very versatile and extremely powerful. I haven’t heard anything quite like this in a long time.  Think Led Zeppelin with a bit of Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and in a weird way Black Sabbath, and you’re sort of getting close to Blues Pills’ sound. In other words, you need to listen to them yourself to really understand how special their sound is!

I am not usually a fan of classic rock, or blues for that matter. Having grown up with the likes of Rammstein and Slipknot I tend to find it a bit too flat and soft. However, I really like some of the stuff I’m hearing on this album. The first three songs, High Class Woman, Ain’t No Change and Jupiter are very groovy, funky and rocky at the same time and also, highly addictive. There are other gems on the album, the more blues oriented No Hope Left For Me is probably my favourite track on the album. Devil Man is a song that I think many metal fans will enjoy; tons of attitude, tons of groove and tons of fun!

The special thing about Blues Pills, I’ve realised, is not necessarily the sound itself. I think it is rather the band’s ability to, with their music, send you back in time. I’m writing this review on a pretty warm July afternoon in northern Sydney, but yet it feels like I’m in 1950’s New Orleans, sitting in a little bar listening to the quartet performing on a small stage with crappy lighting. Not many bands, no matter what genre, can channel that sort of feeling and emotion through their music. That is what makes Blues Pills really interesting, even for someone like me who normally wouldn’t listen to this kind of music. Therefore I can only dream of what you people out there that like old school stuff will think of this fairly new band. It wouldn’t surprise me if they turn out to be the best thing that many of you have heard for a long time!

Band: Blues Pills
Album: Blues Pills
Year: 2014
Genre: Blues/Rock
Label: Nuclear Blast
Origin: USA/France/Sweden

Track list:
1. High Class Woman
2. Ain’t No Change
3. Jupiter
4. Black Smoke
5. River
6. No Hope Left For Me
7. Devil Man
8. Astralplane
9. Gypsy
10. Little Sun

About

Martin is an aspiring music photographer/videographer. He is originally from the southern parts of Sweden and now he's living in Sydney, Australia. Thanks to his older sister, he got into Rammstein at the age of 9, and since then he's been into all types of metal/rock. He loves to combine photography and music, but also filming concerts and produce live material. Follow him on Twitter and check out his website.