Wolfmother’s Victorious is Present Day Classic Rock

How many times have you heard rock fans complain that there is nothing new worth listening too being released. Part of the blame in that complaint really falls of radio’s ignorance of new rock releases. If your from the classic rock era, chances are your working in a job where there may not be a great deal of conversation about new album relases. Most adults in their 40’s and above are talking about their issues with their homes, jobs, bills and kids. Its the young people still in school who not only discover new music, but ultimately share it with each other. Just think back to your high school days and the ways in which you discovered new bands and songs. In the end, young people learn and celebrate new music because they are more active in discovering new artists. Now, of course people will argue that no artists in 2016 can compare to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or The Who. And, yes, we would agree with that statement. However, there still is great stuff coming out that is worth listening too, or at least giving it a shot.  So even though this is a classic rock history site, if we hear something new that we think is special, you can bet your Fisher eight track player we are going to write about it.

So here goes…..

We first heard about Wolfmother ten years ago when the band released their first album on an international level in 2006. Their followup album Cosmic Egg was released in 2008. The band’s third album was issued in 2014 entitled New Crown. There was also a solo album released in 2013. During the course of those album releases, the band Wolfmother went through dramatic lineup changes. The one constant in the band has been the work of Andrew Stockdale. In fact, Wolfmother has really been for the most part the work of Andrew Stockdale.

Personal changes aside, Andrew Stcokdale’s Wolfmother brand is out with a fantastic new album entitled Victorious.  The album is full of rock recordings that echo various elements of 1960’s and 70’s classic rock. However, all the songs are original compositions brilliantly written and performed by Andrew Stockdale. The album was produced by legend in the making producer Brendan O’ Brien.

This article is not an album review, but rather a shout out to promote what we think is one raucous new rock and roll track. We were knocked out by the album’s opening cut “The Love You Give.” But it was the second track, “Victorious,” was the one that really blew us away. Everything that we love about classic rock is present on the “Victorious track,”  The guitars sound like vintage Iron Maiden. The vocals sound like Ozzy Osbourne. There is even a middle section of the tune that seems to be a homage to the Black Sabbath Classic, “Paranoid.” The production is top notch thanks to the talents of Brendan O’ Brien.

There have been many critics that have slammed the album arguing that the record is just a rehash of 1970’s classic rock. Well let those critics try and write and record their own rock music. Rock and roll has been recycling riffs since Chuck Berry put a spin on basic blues progressions. Its not about where it came from, its about how it makes your feel now. Wollfmother’s “Victorious,” is pure rock and roll in 2016. There is still good stuff out there, you just gotta listen.

Written by Brian Kachejian

 

Photo by Eva Rinaldi [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons