Feral Roots

I just love this band, and love this album.

If you have been with Rival Sons since 'Pressure & Time' or even earlier this album will simply reinforce the opinion that The Sons are currently the best rock band on the planet right now!!Every track here is a killer. Whether it be the riff-tastic stuff you love (Do Your Worst, Sugar On The Bone) or the more complex (Feral Roots, Look Away). There is nothing here that might be called a 'filler' track. On Back In The Woods, drummer Mike Miley gives the most solid, heavy as hell, groove filled drum performance since Bonham joined the great gig in the sky! Superb!Jay Buchanan's vocals are simply astounding throughout. Rough, mean, soulful, tender. The guy has it all. If you are a Sons fan you will know exactly what I mean. Is there a better rock vocalist around at the moment?Album closer Shooting Stars is destined to become an absolute classic! The nearest analogy would be Queen's We Will Rock You for a crowd pleasing, hook filled anthem!! This is a gospel tinged, catchy as hell mid tempo number that I would guarantee you will be singing along to by the second chorus!If the move to new label Atlantic was about anything it was perhaps about creating a real buzz around this album and maybe even getting a 'hit' - shock, horror.If there is any justice, Feral Roots should be the album that finally breaks Rival Sons into the major league of rock stardom!

Prefer their earlier albums, but this is still really good...(just goes to show how strong their catalogue is!) Modern sounding hard/heavy/ bluesie at times with a bit of a retro feel...great stuff.

Having received this just days before their recent UK tour I was somewhat anxious. Much as I love Rival Sons there is a chance that the new songs won't sink in on time, or god forbid it just might not be good enough this time around. Ridiculous fears really, and well and truly proven to be so on first listen. Relief became joy as during subsequent listens I discovered that each and every song had at least a little something to love about it. The performances on tour highlighted just how good this collection of tunes really are, elevating the best to even better and the whole collection to simply fantastic. Because I listen to so much other music I've had a few days break from it here and there, but I am still finding myself wanting to stick it on for another listen. Then at the weekend with my brother visiting it gave me great pleasure to share it with him and see his enjoyment of a band he knows little about.There is an extremely good chance that this album, despite being released so early on in the year, will remain the album of the year. Absolutely superb.

Little disappointed with this one, it’s over produced and wouldn’t sound out of place with your average “pop idol stars gone rock” type stuff.I love the retro rock vibe but this honestly leans heavily on pop / soft rock / gospel.A slightly more rock American George Ezra springs to mind and just typing that makes me feel a bit ill.Great musicians but a little uninspired and dull.

Very much an album in the style and with the feel of 1970s rock at the same time as not trying to mimic any bands that enjoyed success during that decade and subsequent years. The album is certainly not 'heavy metal', but rather music that employs the style, rhythms and riffs of that time being more aligned with heavy rock, blues and r & b. Very clever and very skillful without there being any direct or disernable copying or stylistic plagerism. Their gigs are sold out, they are lauded on radio and this album is very good indeed!

I initially listened to this album and thought there were a few weak tracks, with not as many anthems as on The Great Western Valkyrie, I then went to see them live at The Roundhouse on the 6th February and after coming away from that concert I have had this album on constant repeat. I simply cannot get the songs out of my head, how absolutely wrong I was. There are some absolutely amazing songs on this album; Do Your Worst, Sugar On The Bone, Back In The Woods, Look Away, Feral Roots, Too Bad and The End of Forever, being my favourite. I'd rate Great Western Valkyrie as 5 stars and this as 4.5. Top album.

Yeah you get the picture , Rival Sons have always been high on quality, this however is on another level.An album that goes straight for the knockout from the very first note and doesn't let up until it's over. Waste of time in trying to single out high points, there are no weak tracks, in fact nothing approaching anything less than magnificent.Album of the year in January, yip., tick. Possibly album of the decade. I 've listened to it over and over again and each time a different track seems to stand out. I have it up there with Southern Harmony, Exile , Ok Computer.......just simply one of those albums that raises the bar. Congratulations Rival Sons, I hope this album brings you the success you deserve.