FRENZY FIRE
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The Lowdown
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The Lowdown |
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| Baleful Creed are a heavy rock band from the UK formed in 2009, releasing their debut E.P. 'Killing Time' in 2011. The 'Buried Beneath' E.P. followed in 2012, with the bands third E.P. 'III', released on Halloween night the same year. The bands self titled debut album was released in 2013 and was a re-mixed and re-mastered edition of the bands two 2012 E.P. releases. The bands sophomore album 'Seismic Shifter' was released in the summer of 2017, with their third full length 'The Lowdown' released in 2020. | ||||||
| The band have toured with the likes of Praying Mantis, Massive Wagons and Stone Broken, and are just at home playing the smaller pubs and clubs as they are the bigger venues. Their fan base, affectionately know as the "BC Global Family" continues to grow, and will grow even bigger with the release of 'The Lowdown' - Baleful Creed's most diverse album yet. Already influenced by the Stoner and heavy rock genres, the band now push their musical boundaries even further with 'The Lowdown', even as far as grunge, and incorporating the sound of bands such as Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Kyuss. Thus making for a very varied and interesting album that'll take you on a meandering journey of musical discovery... | ||||||
| ...starting with the heavy hitting 'Mr. Grim'. Heavy riff laden and hard rocking, 'Mr. Grim' is a bombastic opening with a highly sing a long able and infectious chorus. Baleful Creed are back, and heavy riffing like they've never been away. 'The Phoenix' is heavier hitting than the opener, adopting a mid paced, mid tempo strut as it starts flowing. A more raspy vocal performance adds to the rough and tough feel that 'The Phoenix' projects. A traditional and very British hard rock swagger rises forth in the mighty shape of 'Pilot My Head' - a more melodic stomp than what has passed. You'll find involuntary feet tapping and head nodding will consume you, such is the effect of 'Pilot My Head'. Displaying aggression alongside power and pace, 'Riled Up' has an element of the legendary AC/DC boogie style riffing. As 'Riled Up' scurries on, the chorus chimes in with all the hallmarks of a crowd participative sing a long. Now then, I haven't a clue how to correctly pronounce the title of the bands next song, and have spent quite a few minutes on this perilous dilemma, eventually giving up, deciding to let the song unfold and answer my dilemma for me... 'Tramalamapam' is the slowest song so far, and is a slow burner, hitting depths of the Stoner, grunge and hard rock genres so deep that 'Tramalamapam' comes across with a moody, dark and downtrodden vibe. | ||||||
| Striding into the second half, 'Confused' brings a deep bluesy feel to the album, swinging from side to side. I can just see everyone in all the bars with hay covered floors and old style tables and chairs, getting up for a good ol' boogie. Staying low and wandering through various genres, 'One Shot' is a grungy styled melodic Stoner rocker, that picks at the blues with just a pinch of jazz. That may sound weird you say, but just take a listen for yourself and tell me I'm wrong! Baleful Creed have done a wonderful job of keeping the album alive with so many different musical influences - it's so easy to lose identity, with an album losing the listeners interest with so much diversity on offer. But not here, interest hasn't waned one little bit. Highly energetic, 'End Game' is a big riffing, hard hitting barrage of buzzing guitars and deep raspy vocals. And for the first time, the album sits squarely in just the one genre - Stoner. Entering the power ballad zone, 'Line Of Trouble' doesn't actually define the usual power ballad fare - it's more like the classic sound of seventies rock, even stretching as far back as sixties psychedelic rock. It's slow paced, it's a Sunday morning lazy stroll, it's a walk in the park with only the sunshine as company - it's a fucking brilliant song that you can get lost in and forget all your troubles. The album comes to a close with the bouncy blues based hard rocker 'Southgate Of Heaven'. Bombast and energy unite in perfect harmony, bringing the curtain down on a very interesting journey of musical diversity. | ||||||
| Overall, a thumping and heavy hitting journey of varied influences, Baleful Creed travel through Stoner, grunge and hard rock in forty, oh so memorable minutes. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Baleful Creed | ||||||
| Other Reviews | ||||||
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| Baleful Creed | ||||||
| "an impressive debut album full of foot stomping rhythms, deep throaty gravel like vocals and superb guitar work" Read Review | ||||||
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| Seismic Shifter | ||||||
| "heavy rock fused with Stoner, blues, groove and grunge style influences, Baleful Creed have delivered an infectious and swaggering album" Read Review | ||||||
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