What is very interesting about this band is that it features the well established guitar, production and songwriting talents of Roy Z, a man best known for his bone-crunching guitar work with the likes of Bruce Dickinson and Rob Rock and amongst others and his awesome production on many metal releases including the new Helloween album “The Dark Ride”. Well known for his crunchy guitar style and beefed up production trademarks, he has done much to define metal music for the new millennium. Supremely heavy, yet melodic.
When he is not busy doing all the aforementioned projects his heart and ultimate ambition lies with his mother band, “Tribe of Gypsies”. Now anyone familiar with the man's past work might be forgiven for thinking this bone-crunching metal is embraced by The Tribe. The truth though is nearly the complete opposite. Tribe of Gypsies personify the type of music made famous by the likes of Santana and Thin Lizzy and updated and gloriously re-worked. Indeed the closest comparison I can make to the sound of the band is a Lizzy meets Santana hybrid. Wonderful, Latino AOR with an extremely catchy and groovy edge is the name of the game here.
Opener “The Flower”, co-written with Bruce Dickinson of all people, is a mid-paced semi-balladic rocker which immediately brings to mind the work of Carlos Santana, particularly in the guitar department. Indeed Santana, is the main point of reference for the entire first half of the album. It is only in the 2nd half that the heavier, Lizzy comparisons arise. This “splitting” of the albums sound into two distinct halves is disconcerting at first but makes sense after a few listens as they tend to separate their influences rather than merge them.
Getting back to the tracks on offer, “Rays of the Sun” is a very catchy rocker with that latino groove and it is this track, as well as the brilliant “Admit It” and funky “It Don’t Bother me” that defines The Tribe and its most melodic. “Puro Party” follows which is my least favourite track as it sounds like Ricky Martins more bombastic, “pelvic thrusting on the beach whilst surrounded by bikini clad beauties” poppy catastrophes.
The rockier, Lizzy-esque tracks follow in the form of the more riff heavy “What Cha Want”, “Up” and “Better Days”. Special mention should be made of the other musicians on this album. The wonderfully smooth vocals of Gregg Analla are a joy to listen to and bassist Juan Perez maintains a funky, pounding backdrop to the songs on offer. Great percussion by guest musician Elvis Balladares too.
This album is not metal, and I must admit I was taken aback by its commercial direction on first listen. Now though, it is one of my current favourite listens. The songs are just so damn good they will stay with you for a long time. There is a very catchy latino groove running throughout the entire album which is virtually impossible not to appreciate and all instruments get room to breathe courtesy of the lush Roy Z production. A great little album and one that is highly recommended for metal heads who wish to expand their horizons a little.
Rating : 3 out of 4 - Niall Parkinson, hardnheavy.com
www.tribeofgypsies.com
Your whacko webmaster takes a shot at Standing.... Run for cover (again) !
"With the power of soul, anything is possible", St Jimi used to sing. Well, I don't know about 'anything', but still... The Tribe has managed to complete this new album so quickly that it seems only a few months have passed since Revolucion 13 set my mind – and yours I'm sure – on fire. Not that it's botched in any way, mind you : Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (are you sure this will fit on the booklet, guys ?) is the richest ToG release to date. Let me put this in simple words : this album rocks like a motherfucker – now would be a good time to start warming up those sore neck muscles – but there are some... unexpected moments as well. Get those Coronas out of the fridge, time to hit the road !
The Flower opens slowly and a more Santanesque number I can't imagine. It probably won't help the Tribe shake off the unfairly over-restrictive Santana tag, but it's only one song out of thirteen and most important, it's a great song ! Velvet vocals, a handful of tactful guitar chords and delicate drumming : not at all the go-for-the-throat opener What's Up? was, but the perfect pick to let the ToG atmosphere pervade your heart and soul. Close your eyes and picture yourself dancing with the hottest babe/hunk in Buenos Aires' sleaziest cantina. Yeah, that's the spirit !
Time for the first Rays of the Sun to start shining. As the tempo speeds up, tear away the last shrouds of slumber and wake up to a world of new things to come. You know, just like one of those perfect Sunday mornings. One of their very best songs ever – and don't you dare contradict me – this tune defines the Tribe sound, if such a thing exists : smooth vocals, groove, guitarZZZ, more groove, elegant drums, extra groove, bouncing bass, groove deluxe, irresistible percussion and – did I mention it already? – an insane groove that grips you once and for all. You're doomed, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! Hmmm, looks like I need a cold one to cool down a bit...
Oh, that felt good. Where was I? Oh yeah, third song. You got to Admit It, these Tribe boys know all about getting you moving in ways you'd never think possible. Take me, for example – no ladies, that's not what I meant. Ever tried writing a review while jumping on your chair ? Pretty hazardous, lemme tell ya ! Syncopation is the key word here and the chorus riff spells it out in big bright letters. But just when you thought that the song had locked in a comfortable tempo, Roy kicks in the "Total Mayhem" switch on his distortion pedal and lays our souls to waste. Twice... Me, I headbanged so hard that my forehead now reads "QWERTY". Don't try this at home, kids !
It Don't Bother Me at all to slow things down a bit. For a little while, we're back to the mysterious atmosphere of Revolucion 13. Although it's not much slower, this song doesn't sound as bright as the previous ones. Gregg opts for low-key (pun not intended) vocals and Roy steps back as well, leaving more room to the rhythm section and the percussion duo to strut their stuff. No hot-shot playing here, just a nice and quiet intermezzo.
A this point, everyone (well, me at least) expects a killer tune to bring the roof down, in a Guajira or Landslide kind of way. So ? Well, the actual sounds that belch forth my Metal-hardened speakers come as a bit of a shock! I'll bet the first measures of that techno-like beat will definitely raise more than their share of eyebrows, but let's not get carried away and wait a minute before frying those Tribe CDs in the microwave oven ;-) Yes, this is definitely a Dance remix of our beloved Party, but – and may I say that it's a big 'but' – it still kicks some serious ass. Getting tired of my stupid jokes? Good! ;-) Sure, Z has obviously spent some time twisting those knobs and experimenting with all that fancy hardware of his – as some pretty weird guitar and bass sounds will attest – but since he also delivers a blazing new solo, I guess I'll have to forgive him! Nice surprise : Gregg has re-recorded Spanish vocals, some of them new. All in all, Puro Party is a very unexpected addition and I eventually overcame the shock after a few listens. And it's cool stuff...in a way ;-)
Not really knowing how What Cha Want would hit me next, boy was I relieved to be run over by them good ole power chords, followed by harmonized guitars with more layers than a Brooklyn pastrami sandwich : good to see that the Z man hasn't lost his chemical touch ! He even goes all AC/DC on us in the middle part, laying an Angus-flavored solo on top of a brilliantly basic guitar rhythm. And since he can't help fooling around with that mike switch to close the song, I'll declare him guilty of digging up too many old LPs for his own good ;-) Yeah, rrrright : AC/DC rules, uh uh, uh uh. The other guys join the fun too and fire up on all cylinders to bring us a Rock tune of Godzillesque proportion. Special mention to Dave for a performance so tight it would make Phil Rudd proud : less is more, dude ! But hear me now : I want more of this stuff on the next albums. Sorry, I had to say it. Uh uh.
At this point, my thick forehead isn't missing many of the 102 keys present on your regular PC keyboard. Hey, who ya calling a geek ? Anyway, it's half-time, so let's hit the fridge ! Hmmm, Adelscott rules. You gotta love a beer with 6.6% alcohol, even if it'd be better if it was 6.66%, right ? Uh uh. Back in the ring, then.
Don't let that Angel fool you : this is Devil's music all over again. After a short harmonized intro, the staccato rhythm ensnares you into a false sense of security before pitting you in a grinding chorus. Urgh, urgh, urgh : there goes the 102nd, time to start all over again. And since Gregg opens up for good as well, I can guarantee that this Tomahawk of a tune will wreak havoc live. To me, this qualifies as the heaviest ToG number and I'll shamelessly make it my favorite Giants tune – sue me.
Time to go Up and back to the light. Under the brightest sunshine, the boys do the Caribbean thing once again, complete with bird-like whistling (I swear!) and a percussion smorgasbord. The perfect fiesta song, a drink in one hand and your better half in the other. Words cannot start to describe how magic this tune is. Just play it loud and start dancin' !
Better Days we all long for, and in this tune as in the next (Dreams), the band succeeds in translating evasive feelings into great songs. Calm yet intense, they won't fail to stir up a deep sense of loss, about both past and future. Again, words are unfit : listen and feel.
I wouldn't be surprised if you felt kind of gloomy by now, but the antidote is on the way : a second injection of Puro Party will pump you up all over again. Come on, get on you feet and shake that booty, Austin-style! Yeah baby!
To bring this new album to a classy end, the Tribe delivers an outstanding cover of Gary Moore's Parisienne Walkways. If my aging memory serves me well, the guys had already played it at a Phil Lynott memorial show some time in 1996 and it had made quite an impression. Nevertheless, playing with covers can get you burned, especially when you decide to deal with such a monument. But as was the case with I'm A Man and Oh Well, one could definitely argue that Roy and the boys have outdone the original. Gregg shines as never before and no one in their right mind can claim that he's not the right man for the job. Period. The other guys rule as usual, but the highlight is obviously Roy's playing : the way he plays the solo note for note before launching into his own interpretation of the song is just jaw-flooring. I never ever doubted that this Z dude was plain fucking awesome, but wow...
So what do we have here ? Well, nothing but the best Tribe album to date. I know, I know, I wrote the exact same thing about Revolucion 13, but don't blame me: blame the North American giant for bringing the Tribe power and the South American giant for granting them the gift of soul. And I have a feeling that the future may hold even better stuff than this. Scary, isn't it?
Julien
P.S.: to anyone wondering what kind of drugs I'm on, here the answer : an unhealthy mix of compiler internals and PowerPC machine language. Just say no, kids ;-)