Quarto Valley (label)
23 March 2018 (released)
03 March 2018
Under normal circumstances I listen and review on my PC but for this one I had to take myself to my main hi-fi so I could crank it up to ear-bleeding volume and type the review on a laptop precariously on my knees and in danger of being dislodged as I gave myself to the massive riffery and pounding drums that enveloped me.
Talk about classic-era hard rock, this has Rainbow, Purple, Van Halen, BCC and Sabbath references in its DNA and a passion and sheer pizzazz that very few bands can achieve.
Heaven & Earth are a 5 piece and it wouldn’t be ridiculous to describe them as a revelation; Joe Retts (lead vocals), Stuart Smith (Lead guitars), Lynn Sorensen (bass) are joined by Ty Baillie (keyboards) who has played with the likes of Katy Perry & Robbie Robertson and Kenny Aronoff (drums) whose CV includes Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, The Rolling Stones, Chickenfoot. Their touring band adds Mike Mangan (Hammond) & Steven Wilson (drums & percussion).
The end result of this is an album that rocks like a beast from the opening guitar line of ‘Hard To Kill’ to the final Hammond rill of ‘Bad Men’ and in between treats us to some humungous and blistering music.
It isn’t like they are doing anything never heard before but they are doing it with incredible power and energy. Ty Baillie’s keyboards provide a prowling and snarling backdrop to numbers such as ‘Anthem’ while Stuart Smith’s guitar rings out and catches the ear constantly.
I love the fact that they are unashamed rockers, not pretending to be anything else, and giving the music such a massive shot of adrenaline that even a sloth like me has to get up and punch the air in sheer joy (oops, there goes the laptop again).
Just wallow in the unadulterated rock & roll on evidence here and if the come to play live in the UK, beat a path to see them.
