Marginal Rock

When did rock music in its most simple and volatile state become forced into the fray of musical popularity?

For those who love the rock bands forged in Hephaestus' cauldron, be not weary. The end has not come to pass. I have seen dry land! It is scorched with the goodness of rock. There are three steadfast riders leading the pack. One possessed and tortured by the souls of Iron Maiden: Priestess. One forged by the mighty hammer of Thor and infused with the doom of Black Sabbath: The Sword. And one that sits at the Round Table with the knights and maidens of Led Zeppelin: Earl Greyhound. Prepare for the triumvirate, the trifecta, the Holy Trinity of new rock.

Priestess hails out of Montreal and was quite the surprise find. The rockers have opened for the likes of Dinosaur Jr., Electric Six, Mastodon and soon Megadeth. This just shows you that these guys are quite the diverse rock band who surround themselves with some of the best acts around. With a non-stop edge that Maiden fans would cream over, these guys bring the best sounds of 80's metal back to our ears without ever sounding stale.

Priestess' debut album Hello Master gets of to kick start that shows their relentless striving for hard riff-rock. "I Am the Night, Colour Me Black" is by far one of the best straight up rock songs you will hear these days. It's furiously addictive riffs will burn through your skin and its rhythm section will pierce the inner sanctum of your darkest thoughts.

The entire album is filled with riff-centric songs ready for their own Guitar Hero edition. "Lay Down" (which will actually be on GHIII) and "Run Home" are your standard rockers where songs like "Blood" bring in a jaunty Queens of the Stoneage vibe. The band's scope may seem narrow, but only because they have their minds set on face-breaking rock and no bullshit.

The Sword is the best of what I like to call Viking Rock. The album Age of Winters starts off with "Celestial Crown" which sounds like a Viking Drekkar hurtling through a stormy night. The bass drum rises like the fearsome tide, the cymbals crash like thunder and the guitars pound with the fury of the crew. When it reaches land, "Barael's Blade" is raised and the doors come crashing down as the pillage begins.

Age of Winters keeps its pace like a furious North Sea storm. Even when "Iron Swan" begins with its grandpa's guitars intro, it quickly breaks into a corybantic shred fest. Needless to say, this album has its fair share of hard rocking. "Freya" is the flagship of the fleet, and is as relentless as the rest.

Earl Greyhound, far and away the most talented and diverse group of these mythological beasts, brings much more to the Round Table. The range that this group has in its songwriting and three-piece dynamic shows much promise. The 8-minute epic "Monkey" from their debut album Soft Targets is by far the bands most intense straight up rock song. Ear-splitting guitar shredding and a rib cracking rhythm section make this the bands stand-out track.
Songs like "S.O.S." and "All Better Now" serve the Round Table as the loyal workhorses. Guinevere shows up on "Yeah I Love You" to give the Table its sex appeal. The vocal performance is a combination of nervous and confident, making it all the more intense. Songs like "It's Over" and "Good" display the sweet side of the band and show us mortals that rock is about more than just the glory of the battlefield.

I make these grand allusions of Gods, heroes and demons, but do these bands really live up to this grand hype? The answer here depends on what you want from them. Each band is great in its own right, but don't expect anything new or msuic beyond what rock really should be about.
This isn't to say they aren't great. They are fresh in a retro kind of way.The fact that corporate radio has its grip on all genres of rock and roll in the mainstream is why these bands can be a guiding light.

A final point to consider: these bands are all only on their debut albums. As far as I know, these three records are the best no frills attached rock records I can remember for quite some time.
Looking back on the past decade, rock music has become more stable and listener friendly. This could be sign that maybe, just maybe, rock and roll will get it's edge back.

By Paul Tsikitas

Priestess on: Myspace
The Sword on: Myspace
Earl Greyhound on: Myspace