
Photo: By pitpony.photography (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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
At low volume I turned up victorious thinking it was Ozzy, Sabbath, or something related. It seems like the music industry is too afraid to take risks on original content and use to treating radio hits as disposable, as if the next generation has no knowledge of older music. IMO Wolfmother might be better off playing Ozzy/Sabbath covers as a tribute band. Or…experiment with some more original content. If Ozzy wasn’t on his way out these guys wouldn’t get too far. It seems lazy and insulting. Sure chords and common progressions are bound to be repeated but with enough variation to offer a something somewhat unique. I’ve done enough song writing to know it’s really not that hard to avoid sounding like a copy cat. If you remind someone of someone else that’s one thing. If someone says you sound just like someone else then it’s time to explore, grow, and find your own voice/sound.