Rival Sons
Pressure and Time

What sense does it make to release an album in 2011 that mimics the sound and styles of the first two Led Zeppelin albums and pre-Machine Head Deep Purple, 40 years later? A good reason might be to try to satisfy the large audience (including very young people) tired of the fact that among the new offerings from the international discography there are only so-called alternative rock, post-rock, or indie rock bands.

"Pressure and Time" is the second album from Los Angeles-based Rival Sons, following the self-produced "Before the Fire" from 2009. It is a guitar-bass-drums and vocals combo that, as mentioned, mostly draws inspiration from the origins of British hard rock, with none of the sparkles and caricature-style payette of "The Darkness" or '80s hair metal makeup; also in terms of content, this is an album characterized by its immediacy and the essentiality of the sound and compositions. In fact, the intention to also showcase a raw and direct live attitude on the record without using sound polishings for the benefit of radio stations is commendable.

The album in question, released in June by the prestigious Earache Records (actually known to most for its metal and hardcore productions), has immediately created considerable divides in the specialized overseas critics, between those who have welcomed Rival Sons as the "Next Big Thing" and those who have immediately dismissed them as poorly executed Zeppelin imitators years late. Certainly, attempting to compare them with the artistic proposal of the airship would be merciless (in the series "like taking candy from a baby"), but personally, I believe this album deserves a listen.

In truth, the Zeppelin echoes are only apparent in the "groovy" title track "Pressure and Time", where the energetic riff executed by guitarist Scott Holiday with a rock-solid rhythm section and frontman Jay Buchanan who does not skimp on Plant-style high notes, reigns supreme. For the rest, the influences of Page & co are noticeable, but they are mixed with other stylistic references from the musical world straddling the '60s and '70s. This is evident, for instance, in the Doors-oriented "Born Down Los Angeles" rather than in the electric ballad "Only Love" where Hendrix seems to be the main source of inspiration. Also notable are the opening track "All Over the Road" and the intense "Get Mine".

The impression is that these four rockers from the West Coast master the language of classic rock in a valid way without falling into plagiarism or excessive citations. Fun fact: the artwork is curated by Storm Thorgerson, who also created many covers for Pink Floyd and several rock legends.

Walking into a record store in 2011 and finding a good hard rock album like "Pressure and Time" among the new releases doesn't happen every day. Whether Rival Sons will turn out to be yet another one-hit-wonder band destined to fade into oblivion remains to be seen. For now, as far as I'm concerned, this band's musical proposal earns a passing grade.