Greta Van Fleet
Anthem Of The Peaceful Army
Republic Records
While 2017 was the year Greta Van Fleet popped onto everyoneโs radar with the strong release of their debut double EP, From The Fires. Since then, Greta Van Fleet has continued to make headlines as rockโs most promising up and coming artist, the band has released their debut, -length studio album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army. Love โem or hate โem, the hype surrounding the band and this album is huge, but more importantly, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army is a record that truly solidifies them as rock โnโ rollโs next big thing.
Opening with โAge Of Manโ, the album starts off quiet and slow as the track grows to include crunching guitars, and grooving drums. The slow pace of the track allows for it to naturally build momentum and intensity through the bandโs strong songwriting. That being said, the song seems like a strange fit to kick off oneโs debut full length album โ it sounds as if it would be better suited as a dramatic closing number for the album. You could say that Anthem Of The Peaceful Army truly gets started on โThe Cold Windโ, a straight ahead stomping blues rock number pulled from the mid โ70s. Again, though, โThe Cold Windโ feels like a soft opening when compared to the following track and lead single, โWhen The Curtain Fallsโ, a song driven by a riff that feels equally inspired by Jimi Hendrix as it is Led Zeppelin. As a whole, each member of the band shines as an individual, and as a tight unit on this track, but it is worth pointing out that guitarist Jake Kiszkaโs lead riff and solo is absolutely fantastic, and drummer Danny Wagnerโs groove is one of his strongest across the album.
What must be said about Greta Van Fleet and Anthem Of The Peaceful Army is that despite how similar sonically and inspired they may be by Led Zeppelin, they truly flex their songwriting abilities across this album. While the Zeppelin influence is undeniably huge, the band is turning out great original material that more than once takes an unexpected turn. โLover, Leaver (Taker, Believer)โ stands as one of the most unique tracks and an example of their songwriting at its strongest โ crunching riffs, a sophisticated solo, a building progression, an experimental breakdown, and Josh Kiszkaโs roaring vocals elevate this song above the rest. โBrave New Worldโ also stands out as another track fueled by excellent songwriting in the form of a dark slow burner.
For all Greta Van Fleet has accomplished in the last year, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army is perhaps the bandโs greatest achievement. Not simply for itโs musical quality, but for the reason that this was an album that was able to surpass the ever growing hype rather than be crushed by the swarming expectations upon takeoff. Instead, Great Van Fleet show exactly why such hype has been building with an album that is more than certain to take them to the next level.
Artistย Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GRETA VAN FLEET – ANTHEM OF THE PEACEFUL ARMY
Gerrod Harris