Electric Valley: Echo (2026) [mini-review]


















Spain based band Electric Valley are out with the album "Echo" through US label Small Stone Records, and this is a production that might be of interest also for a progressive rock interested audience. The foundation of this band is 70's hard rock though, with gritty vocals, a tight bass and a dominant guitar being the order of the day. Referencing both the blues based hard rock bands as well as touching base with both Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin on occasion. What makes this album a bit more interesting is the liberal use of psychedelic rock elements throughout. From delicate cosmic resonances to floating and expressive psychedelic guitar solo runs of the kind that wouldn't have been out of place in a vintage oriented space rock band. With the echoing, resonating gentle and otherworldly Zeppelinesque landscapes explored on title track 'Echo' as the icing on the cake in that respect. An album to seek out by those who enjoy bands exploring 70s era hard rock with a liberal use of psychedelic seasoning and a bit of expressive intent.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063532242103
https://smallstone.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deaton LeMay Project - 2019 - Day After Yesterday

Image
 (59:18; Deaton Lemay Project) Track list: 1. Storm the Castle 4:06 2. Day After Yesterday 4:57 3. Tri-Overture 2:21 4. The Past 4:24 5. The Future 4:37 6. The Present 5:34 7. Fade Away 5:46 8. To the End 6:43 9. Silent Stone 7:19 10. Event Horizon Pt.1 2:43 11. Event Horizon Pt. 2 3:51 12. Voice of Freedom 6:57 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards, bass, guitars Craig LeMay - drums, percussion with Hadi Kiani - vocals Ehsan Imani - guitars Joel Gregoire - guitars   Josh Mark Raj - guitars Prolusion. US project DEATON LEMAY PROJECT is spearheaded by composers and musicians Roby Deaton and Craig LeMay. Just how long this creative duo has been collaborating isn't exactly stated anywhere, but as I've seen phrases about a project 25 years in the making somewhere I presume the ideas for this venture has been ongoing for some time. DLP self-released their debut album "Day After Yesterday" towards the tail end of 2019. Analysis. From just about the first second that this album s...
Read more

Tonnen von Hall - 2025 - Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen

Image
(61:45; Iapetus [Unsung Records] ) Track list: 1. Erdmantel 4:05 2. Vorhalle 0:40 3. Antlitz 4:12 4. Stahlhalle 1:01 5. Kraken 5:02 6. Mitralsaal 0:55 7. Kanister 5:56 8. Sockelwald 0:49 9. Kaiserlicht 5:46 10. Schacht 0:43 11. Zivilisationsfolie 4:27 12. Nebelgarten 0:58 13. Donnermesser 6:41 14. Blutrille 1:01 15. Rauschmitte 5:22 16. Klingensaal 0:50 17. Endgegner 3:39 18. Ätzung 0:41 19. Thronfolge 3:09 20. Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen 4:55 21. Herzkammer 0:53 Line-up: Markus Reuter - guitars, loops, sounds Alexander Paul Dowerk - guitars Asaf Sirkis - drums, percussion, vocals Prolusion. Germany based band Tonnen Von Hall was established back in 2022 or thereabouts, and the threesome consisting of Marks Reuter, Alexander Paul Dowerk and Asaf Sirkis has been developing the style and sound of this new formation ever since. The results of that process first came to light on an EP released towards the end of 2024. A few months later the band have now released their debut album ...
Read more

Refestramus - 2026 - Morri’s Rock Boutique

Image
(40:47; Melodic Revolution Records) Back with their third album, there has been yet more significant line-up changes in this project which continues to evolve and delight. Drummer and songwriter Derek Ferguson and producer Ian Beabout (Colouratura) are still there of course, with Mitch Lawrence (clarinets and saxes) now being promoted to full band member after guesting on 2024’s ‘Intourist’. This time around there are two new special guests who have had a huge impact on the overall sound, namely bassist and vocalist Jan Christiana and keyboardist and vocalist Dyanne Potter Voegtlin (both from Potter's Daughter and  Octarine Sky), and if that was not enough there are also a series of guests including  David Jackson (VDGG),  Rick Witkowski (Crack the Sky), Joe Deninzon (Kansas)  and Jerry King (Cloud Over Jupiter) among others. The result is an album which sits somewhere between pomp rock, prog rock and AOR and there are times when we are transported back to the late S...
Read more