The Godfathers

The sound of The Godfathers hasn’t changed significantly since they emerged from the Sid Presley Experience back in 1985. Loud, hard, driving rock with punk tinges and Blues deep in their core. When they are ‘on it’ there are few bands anything like as exciting or as exhausting and this incarnation has them absolutely at the peak of their form.
I’m knackered just sitting here typing this while my whole soul just wants to get up and pogo like a loon.

The new line up is Peter Coyne on lead vocals, Steve Crittall and Mauro Venegas on guitars, Tim James on drums and Darren Birch on bass.
They developed their brotherhood playing the Isle Of Wight, Camden Rocks and Spain’s Motorbeach festivals as well as a mammoth European tour and this album has the feel of a family of outlaws.

Musically, what you get is basic and ripped rock and roll with Tim James drums driving the songs at a furious rate, Darren Birch’s bass a throbbing heartbeat and the guitars jangling and riffing like demons – all that with Peter Coyne’s harsh and edgy vocals.

The title track opens with a howl of screaming distortion and Birch’s bass coming in like Jean-Jaques Burnel on steroids. The guitars are battling for supremacy while Coyne’s vocals have a distorted edge trying to keep up with the incredible pace of the drums – possibly the most exciting number I’ve heard in the last year.

‘Till My Heart Stops’ has the sound and feel of 70’s CBGBs and that is the point where you know that the band have completely gelled , everything in the right place and delivered with passion and power and a wonderful confidence.

Everything about the album is unashamedly classic – not ‘retro’, there is no attempt to copy the past – and they reference the sound of some great bands including Hawkwind on ‘Defibrillator’ and Johnny Thunders on ‘Let’s Get Higher’ but the album is all about The Godfathers and there really isn’t any more ‘in your face’ band in the land.

Stunning album from one of the most honestly ‘rock!!’ bands around.