The Quill
Tiger Blood

My countrymen of The Quill are back with a new album, another one to add to their collection of albums which now equates to seven. They are an experienced band and the album has a sleek and very good looking cover artwork, it almost looks like my cat although he is a bit more wild coloured. Is there any tiger blood in their veins? Well, the title certainly points in that direction, but other than that I don’t know much about these guys and I have never heard them before this album. It is a first, and I always like firsts even though it makes it difficult to compare and also accurately evaluate the album in the grander scheme. But then again, I don’t really know much about stoner rock or metal either.

But that is what it is, stoner rock, stoner metal or heavy metal if you like. It is plain and simple rock n roll, no nonsense just heavy, rocking and powerful. It is also rather well produced with a strong singer, and very varied as well. The songs come in a wide range of styles from Status Quo-ish boogie styles guitar playing, some Final Fantasy VII-like melodies and simple stoner rock and many other little interesting angles. It is a rather impressive product that is well performed and the ten tracks are even kept in a decent length with a 45 minute playing time. Compared to earlier works it may or may not be like the predecessor, it is interesting and well made in my book and it feels fresh but of course that isn’t anything I can be certain of as I haven’t heard them before.

I think this is a very good album, the songs are all strong. The album has some very good and powerful stuff, it is also catchy and entertaining. Definitely an album well worth listening to as it pushes all the right buttons for anyone wanting straight, simple no-nonsense heavy metal. But not only that, it also feels fresh, and varied so you will not easily get bored with it either. It is a strong and very well crafted album and one that definitely can be recommended to anyone into this kind of music. I don’t think it lacks appeal to fans of other styles of music either. The question is though, will they reach that prospective audience?

I think that they might but it needs to be more visible, they have good hits like the opening track Freak Parade which is very strong. Then I also really enjoy the lovely ending track which is a calmer one which is the perfect ending. So it starts well and ends well, and the stuff in between isn’t too shabby either. We have a strong album here, one that I can clearly recommend to anyone who likes their music plain and simple with an in-your-face attitude. It is an enjoyable album, no doubt about that.

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