House Of Lords - Precious Metal (2014) [Gorgatz]

House Of Lords - Precious Metal (2014) [Gorgatz]



- I N F O -

Staunch House of Lords fans can’t really rail against the politics of their favorite band – just a few months after James Christian’s solo album Lay It All On Me saw the light of day, the newest collective effort of the whole group arrives – entitled Precious Metal. And as for every album of theirs – well, maybe except the infamous 2004 release The Power And The Myth – what the quartet delivers is a solid dose of melodic hooks and bombastic choruses. They’re not to wander off the path they took years ago also in the case of their newest album – so that House of Lords, a band with a brand’s recognition in the world of melodic hard rock, proves again they’re held in high esteem not without a reason.

House of Lords’ musical legacy – that James Christian bravely continues – shines through in tracks such as the opening “Battle” or “Action,” powerful guitar-oriented tracks with quintessentially killer choruses and certain flavor of catchiness to them. The band gravitates towards AOR in “Live Every Day (Like It’s The Last)” (enriched with great soloing from Jimi Bells) or more dynamic “I’m Breakin’ Free” and flirts with more contemporary sound in “Raw.” There are slightly weaker moments, such as the synthesizer-driven “Enemy Mine”, yet – on no account should anyone call them fillers. And as for the obligatory ballads, there is a place for them as well – “Turn Back The Tide” and the eponymous “Precious Metal” are the showcase for James Christian’s stunning vocal performances (after all, it’s the same man who sang his heart out on “Remember My Name” and “What’s Forever For” years ago, and the time that passed had little to no impact on his voice and form). There is Jimi Bell with his six string adeptness – reaching a perfect compromise between the dynamism and melody – and the stellar rhythm section of Chris McCarvill and BJ Zampa playing as good as ever song after song.

Precious Metal is a perfect reflection of House Of Lords A.D. 2014 – the experience of the band members doesn’t rule out the enthusiasm heard throughout the record, and following the well-tried formula is what they do best. Chorus after chorus and one excellent guitar solo after another, they bring back what was best during the ‘80s era of bombastic arena rock anthems – while, at the same time, there is no question about them ever sounding outdated. Most certainly any House of Lords fan won’t be disappointed with the band’s newest album, as well as each and every melodic hard rock aficionado. Highly recommended.

Here we are with the ninth studio album from House Of Lords. I admit i’m not familiar with this band so had to do my research and it does quite shock me that I hadn’t heard of these before. Although my music tastes have changed over the years and got much heavier I am not ashamed to admit that when I was young I was a melodic rock fanatic! I would sit in my room after school and listen to the likes of Thunder, sing my heart out whilst listening to Stan Bush and as sad as it sounds I would work out to Survivor. House Of Lords are from that same category of 80′s melodic rock and, to any of their lifelong fans, I can assure you that here with latest album ‘Precious Metal’ they have stuck to their guns, this still is the sound of a band from the 80′s rock world.

Like bands of that bygone era of musical awesomeness, this band have it all. Atmospheric keyboards? Check. Chugging guitars? Check. Arena sounding drums? Check. A singer who can sing his heart out better than anyone you hear in the pop charts today? Oh hell yes! In vocalist James Christian they have one of those vocalists that attracted to me to this type of music as a kid. It always shocks me how these type of vocalists don’t get more attention as you always find they are ridiculously good singers with a phenomenal range. I would say if you want to get an idea of this band and a song that shows the vocalists skills, it’s never more evident than on the track ‘Battle’ (trust me this is the sort of title all the tracks have on this album and you have to love them for it).

It’s not just the vocalist who stands out on ‘Precious Metal’. The whole band are off the hook good, virtuosos would be a better word. Every song soars, they are bombastic and all delivered with gravitas. There is absolutely no denying the bands ability and songwriting skills it is just that in no way is it very cool. I don’t want to come across as pretentious or anything but even back in the day, this sort of music was never what the cool kids listened to. As I mentioned earlier, although I listened to bands like this when i was younger it was always in my bedroom. My friends would never know, it was always, for want of a better word, too ‘safe’. In front of my friends I would listen to Guns N’ Roses and Machinehead behind closed doors it would be bands like House Of Lords. The guys you see down at your local rock bars in their lates 50′s with the biker jacket with ‘Scorpions’ patches and mullets are going to adore this. It is a very well written record: I just feel it has been written 20 years too late to really cause a stir.

- T R A C K L I S T -

01. Battle
02. I'm Breakin Free
03. Epic
04. Live Every Day (Like It's the Last)
05. Permission to Die
06. Precious Metal
07. Swimmin with the Sharks
08. Raw
09. Enemy Mine
10. Action
11. Turn Back the Tide
12. You Might Just Save My Life

Format: 320 mp3
Genre: Hard Rock
Size: 115.94 MB