Dunsmuir is a new ‘supergroup’ featuring Neil Fallon (Clutch), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio) Brad Davis (Fu Manchu) and Dave Bone (The Company Band). With this kind of firepower, it’s a given that their self-titled debut album, will be a rockin’ tour-de-force. And it is.
This is a concept album that, as they describe, ‘tells the tale of the various fates met by the survivors of a 19th century ship wreck. What had been intended as a voyage of scientific discovery, quickly devolves into a struggle to survive the natural world, and the supernatural.’
As I describe it, this is riff rock at it’s best. It is balls to the wall, straight ahead Rock and Roll. An extremely solid hard-rock album, that features great riffs, Fallon’s powerful vocals and a bottom end that’ll make your insides shake.
I must admit, I didn’t pay too much attention to the story when listening to the album for this review. I was focused on the musicianship and it is stellar. Dave Bone is a beast (watch for an interview soon on Korea Guitar). His guitar work is a throwback to the classic hard rock/metal guitarists that I grew up with . (I hear some Maiden influences in there on What Manner of Bliss, Some Judas Priest on Deceiver and Sabbath on a bunch of tunes…and that’s not a bad thing), Brad Davis is solid as a rock with grooves galore and Vinny Appice is Vinny Appice, which is always a great thing.
And then you have Fallon. This is as distinctive and powerful a voice as we have in hard rock today. If you’re a fan of Clutch, Dunsmuir will be right down your alley.
While every track is great, Hung on the Rocks (which is a stellar opener), The Bats (Are Hungry Tonight), with it’s Priest-like groove and Church of the Tooth, with it’s slow and heavy Sabbath vibe are standouts to me. While the influences are noticeable, this band doesn’t sound like anyone except Dunsmuir.
In a day where it can be tough to find good new music, Dunsmuir is a welcome addition to anyone’s collection. It’s the must have album of 2016 so far.
Dunsmuir’s self titled full length album is set to be released July 22nd via Hall Of Records with presale to begin on July 8th. The album will be released digitally via iTunes only and the LP will only have a pressing of 1,000 copies with a signed lithograph poster of the album cover and available only at: http://www.indiemerch.com/Dunsmuir/.
- Hung On the Rocks-
- Our Only Master
- The Bats (Are Hungry Tonight)
- What Manner of Bliss?
- Deceiver
- …And Madness
- Orb of Empire
- Church of the Tooth
- The Gate
- Crawling Chaos!
LINKS
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DunsmuirBand
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dunsmuirband
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DunsmuirBand
Official: http://www.dunsmuirband.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCav_GlS4rhekNZsOZTp3SzA
Let's Rock 
[…] Dio fame, Brad Davis from Fu Manchu and Dave Bone from The Company Band (see a review of the album here). I hate to use the word super group, but in the world of heavy rock, this is as close as it […]
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