US trio PINNICK GALES PRIDGEN is the latest in a long, long line of bands that deservedly or not will be described as a supergroup I guess. This one isn’t the most obvious of constellations though, at least as far as I’m concerned, as the musicians involved have fairly different backgrounds to my knowledge. This self-described power trio was unveiled to the world courtesy of Magna Carta Records when they released the band’s self-titled debut album in February 2013.
This is an album that at least for me took some time to fire up. Opening cuts Collateral Damage and the following Angels and Aliens are nice enough excursions into blues based hard rock territories, but none of them kicks off any fireworks to speak of. The brief interlude of For Jasmine, Für Elise given an electric guitar treatment, isn’t one that will get the party going either. But following that excursion Pinnick, Gales and Pridgen gets the party started big time, showcasing quite nicely that their chosen description as a power trio is one with a firm emphasis on the first of the two words. Pinnick with a booming bass that in live circumstances should bring attending ladies halfways to orgasm by resonance alone, Gales with some smooth guitar soloing that reminds me quite a lot of Robin Trower alternating with plentiful of more flamboyant details as well as elongated spirited runs of the kind that will water the mouths of most guitar aficionados, Pridgen fighting hard to get as much attention with his at times complex and frequently energetic attack in the drums department.
From Hang On, Big Brother, sporting a recurring guitar motif that sounds like early ZZ Top on steroids, to the brilliancy of the King’s X tinged Wishing Well that follows next. Later on Lascivious and Me and You also takes on a sound and style that reminds quite a lot about the latter band one way or another, in a good way I might add. We’re also treated to Black Jeans and Been So High (The Only Place To Go Is Down), both of these with a strong foundation in good old blues as far as I can tell, the former erupting into a compact hard rock monster of a chorus, the latter showcasing quite nicely what heavy blues is all about just as much as it demonstrates virtuoso musicianship.
We have The Greatest Love here too, this one an unholy combination of Gentle Giant’s Spooky Boogie and harder edged funk to my ears, and final piece Frightening documenting just how important strong vocals are to elevate a blues based hard rock ballad from a pleasant experience to something a bit more worthwhile. At last a special mention to the cover of Cream’s Sunshine Of Your Love. A fine piece of music in it’s own right and on this occasion given a treatment that gives the song a strong and distinct sound fans of Black Sabbath should instantly recognize.
I got distinct associations towards Robin Trower’s mid 70’s productions when listening to this album. Pinnick Gales and Pridgen are wilder, more adventurous and especially more flamboyant than the legendary power trio Trower was a part of, but I suspect those who enjoy Trower’s harder edged material from back then will enjoy this debut album by Pinnick Gales and Pridgen too, as will fans of high quality blues based hard in general presumably.
My rating: 77/100
