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Playlouder Album review
Album Review: Stone Gods
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[Album: Silver Spoons & Broken Bones]
As it has probably been said so many times before, out of The Darkness emerges Stone Gods. Yes, that’s right, after the messy demise of The Darkness, guitarist Dan Hawkins did not want to lay down his axe lightly. As former bassist and Stone Gods’ singer/guitarist Richie Edwards recalls, “I got the phone call from Justin and I thought ‘that’s it’, but half an hour later Dan rang me and said, ‘Rich, do you fancy doing a bit of singing?’. We got together and started writing and it’s snowballed from there.” The band are itching to play these songs on tour, and after the reaction the band got when they supported Velvet Revolver I am not surprised. It is an album packed full of high-octane hard rock anthems.Optimum Impact Album Review
Our sister site, the amazing rock fanzine, Optimum Impact has reviewed the forthcoming album “Silver Spoons & Broken Bones”
You can read all about it here Optimum Impact Review
Phoenix Music Group EP Review
Burn The Witch is the eponymous debut single from Stone Gods, a band forged from the ashes of The Darkness, minus titular rock icon Justin Hawkins.
The song combines heavy crunching guitars with a memorable guitar lick, while Riche Edwards on vocals shrieks like a Banshee from Hell, evoking comparisons with the epic wailings of Bon Scott and Bruce Dickinson. Furthermore, the band display a discernible ambition when halfway through the song they launch into a complex frenzy of relentless riffing. With these stylistic features in mind, Burn the Witch can be argued to continue the tradition of old school heavy metal in the vein of Iron Maiden, Motorhead ACDC and black album era Metallica. Therefore, no points for originality but the song is pulled off with such show and panache that it manages to transcend its obvious musical references.
Lyrically Burn the Witch directs a venomous contempt at its subject with a sense of abandoned glee. The communal aspect of this contempt, in addition to the atmosphere of outrage and unease in the music, strongly calls to mind imagery from films like the Wickerman. So while it doesn’t mark any new ground in the annals of rock, as a piece of menacing South of England heavy metal Burn the Witch fails to disappoint. On the basis of this record Stone Gods are likely to be a formidable live band.
Album Review from Scorpio Promotions
Check out the first review of the lads debut album “Silver Spoons & Broken Bones.
A great review of Burn The Witch from Hardrockhouse.com
Stone Gods – Burn The Witch
Pias UK
Rating – 8/10
Review Al Hey
Most bands go out on tour with some product to promote but, in the case of the Stone Gods, who have recently just completed their first full UK tour, it was more a case of just getting out there to introduce themselves. Having caught the band on tour and also being given access to talk to the band about the future it was revealed that there was an EP due for almost imminent release and that an album was also done and dusted. Well here is that EP…
Featuring four tracks, two of the tracks have been featured as snippets on the bands MySpace site, if you’ve listened to those snippets then believe me you’ve barely scratched the surface of what the full-length versions have to offer. Kicking off with “Burn The Witch”, which is bouncy hard rock, lyrically dark and edgy but a whole lot of fun, Stone Gods deliver some tasty layered guitar harmonies that mildly unsettle and create a musical accompaniment that would make this song a perfect soundtrack for anyone who decided to re-make the movie “Witchfidner General”. Dan Hawkins sounds like he is having lot of fun as he riffs his way though time changes that recall early day Metallica.
“You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight” is ultra catchy and if you don’t find yourself shaking your bits to this song you may want to check your pulse. Vocally Richie Edwards is having a ball as he spits out his lyrics sounding like a British version of Steven Tyler. The guitar solo is pure rock and roll being brash and bold and well arranged. “Breakdown” on the other hand begins with a wonderful homage to Thin Lizzy thanks to a tasty dual guitar harmony intro. Dan has never hidden his love of Thin Lizzy and this track does recall the spirit of that band’s earlier music. It’s pure Gorham and Robertson. The song itself could easily trouble the charts thanks to its infectious chorus and Bryan Adams like vibe. Rounding off the EP is “Heartburn” which instantly brought to mind the swagger of the Georgia Satellites and the country rock vibe of John Mellencamp. It’s a well crafted song that shows flair and taste in the guitar department as it dips into some nice country rock and Rolling Stones like licks.
All in all this EP is going to surprise and please a lot of people. Forget everything you know about the history of this band as the new music is a million miles away from where they came from (The Darkness). Each song displays something different and one is left instinctively knowing that as a collective the band have a great chemistry when it comes to songwriting. I have to admit that the prospect of a full album containing music as well crafted as these does get me very excited. Stone Gods have all the ingredients to become a major force in the rock and I for one hope this year sees the band reaching ever-greater heights.
Thanks to Karyn for the link!
Stone Gods- Burn the Witch
The band- Stone Gods was formed by ex-Darkness members Richie Edwards on vocals and guitars (he was the bass player in Darkness), Dan Hawkins on guitar, Toby Macfarlaine on bass and Ed Graham on drums. They recently released the EP titled “Burn the Witch”.
The band’s biography describes the overall sound of the EP as:
“Fronted by Richie Edwards, whose powerful voice resonates with four decades of classic rock gusto”.
That statement actually makes sense because you would find echoes of Aerosmith, Queen and some glam rock bands of the 1980s. It really seems Richie Edwards and company have more or less shunned their previous musical root which was in the form of Darkness. However, this seems to be a remarkable piece of work, clearly superior to or rather interestingly different than Darkness.
• To remark that the first track, “Burn the Witch” is a breezy opener would be an understatement. It has got more surprises than what you would expect from an almost 5 minute rock track. There are elements of prog-metal, classic rock, NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) and speed metal. It takes all those vital heavy metal pills, breaks into one side and blasts in all its glory from the other end to finish what could easily be a key single for them if they have any plans of releasing this as a single. This song is definitely the highlight of the EP.
• “You Brought a Knife to a Gunfight” seems like a song Steven Tyler would do with Aerosmith. This when mixed with shades of Queen, specifically from their classic track- “Tie Your Mother Down”, would result in such a musical output. It is an interesting hard- blues-rock song.
• “Heartburn” is yet another blues-rock song but a slower number with beautifully arranged guitar solos and chugging rock ‘n’ roll vibe that gives images of thick- moustached rockers riding their Harley Davidson bikes through the Arizona desert lands.
• “Breakdown” is such an outstanding rock ballad. It is relatively a simple track but by no means falls short of any of those gorgeous guitar solos and musical adventures like the other songs.
The most fascinating aspect is that it has got a certain retro-sound to it and yet at the same time it is not a copy of any those classic rock bands. All the tracks are extremely well produced. That should not be a surprise since they must have had so much of production experience or at least been involved in the tedious recording process during their previous musical incarnation as “Darkness”. This EP is a winner in every sense. I can hardly find anything to complain about it. To reiterate that point, Ritchie Edwards himself comments as follows:
“We won’t repeat any mistakes from the past. We’ve got a really punk rock attitude. I don’t have to play the game anymore. I don’t want to be a celebrity. I’m just so happy to be in this band. The music is the only thing that matters”.
I can safely say that the music they made is a testimony to his statement and it is this attitude that would win them a devoted audience in the foreseeable future. Perhaps, the leaving of Justin Hawkins was a blessing light in disguise to dispel all the “Darkness”. Call it tempting fate but I can really smell a sweet sense of success, here.
EP review on www.rock-metal-music-review.com:
www.rock-metal-music-reviews.com
Stone Gods have a soft spot for the golden days of British heavy metal, and on the Burn The Witch EP, they’re doing their level best to transport us back there.
Formed from the ashes of smash-hit comedy cock-rock act The Darkness after the departure of their dinky falsetto-frontman, Stone Gods have benefited hugely by clearing the ego from the front of the stage, allowing their prowess as a bona fide rock’n’roll band to shine through on its own merits.
The four tracks on the Burn The Witch EP aren’t going to change the face of music as we know it, but they’re great examples of how rock can be authentic and fun at the same time.
Title track “Burn The Witch” is full of Iron Maiden-esque bombast, with mock pagan shrieking of the title for the chorus refrain. Whether it’s a tribute to the legendary scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a secret only the band know.
“You Brought A Knife To A Gun Fight” is all tongue-in-cheek tough-guy braggadocio, a hair-metal epic with a swear-word laden shout-along chorus – odds on, this will become a Stone Gods live favourite and show-closer.
“Breakdown” is a respectful nod to a number of British bands, but not least Thin Lizzy – a melodic fallen-on-tough-times number with a virtuoso riff at the core, and lyrics which could be a parting shot at the band’s former singer:
“seems like only yesterday / you had it all and threw it all away”
Closing the EP, “Heartburn” is broken-heart tune delivered with a wry grin and a sly wink, and pretty much encapsulates the Stone Gods approach to music. These guys love classic rock and metal, and they know it inside out – but they don’t take it too seriously, and they know how to laugh at themselves.
The question is, can Stone Gods stand on their own and step out from the shadow of their former frontman? If it turns out they can’t, it wont be for lack of talent, as the Burn The Witch EP clearly demonstrates.
A great review of Burn The Witch
Stone Gods – Burn The Witch
Pias UK
Rating – 8/10
Review Al Hey
Most bands go out on tour with some product to promote but, in the case of the Stone Gods, who have recently just completed their first full UK tour, it was more a case of just getting out there to introduce themselves. Having caught the band on tour and also being given access to talk to the band about the future it was revealed that there was an EP due for almost imminent release and that an album was also done and dusted. Well here is that EP…
Featuring four tracks, two of the tracks have been featured as snippets on the bands MySpace site, if you’ve listened to those snippets then believe me you’ve barely scratched the surface of what the full-length versions have to offer. Kicking off with “Burn The Witch”, which is bouncy hard rock, lyrically dark and edgy but a whole lot of fun, Stone Gods deliver some tasty layered guitar harmonies that mildly unsettle and create a musical accompaniment that would make this song a perfect soundtrack for anyone who decided to re-make the movie “Witchfidner General”. Dan Hawkins sounds like he is having lot of fun as he riffs his way though time changes that recall early day Metallica.
“You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight” is ultra catchy and if you don’t find yourself shaking your bits to this song you may want to check your pulse. Vocally Richie Edwards is having a ball as he spits out his lyrics sounding like a British version of Steven Tyler. The guitar solo is pure rock and roll being brash and bold and well arranged. “Breakdown” on the other hand begins with a wonderful homage to Thin Lizzy thanks to a tasty dual guitar harmony intro. Dan has never hidden his love of Thin Lizzy and this track does recall the spirit of that band’s earlier music. It’s pure Gorham and Robertson. The song itself could easily trouble the charts thanks to its infectious chorus and Bryan Adams like vibe. Rounding off the EP is “Heartburn” which instantly brought to mind the swagger of the Georgia Satellites and the country rock vibe of John Mellencamp. It’s a well crafted song that shows flair and taste in the guitar department as it dips into some nice country rock and Rolling Stones like licks.
All in all this EP is going to surprise and please a lot of people. Forget everything you know about the history of this band as the new music is a million miles away from where they came from (The Darkness). Each song displays something different and one is left instinctively knowing that as a collective the band have a great chemistry when it comes to songwriting. I have to admit that the prospect of a full album containing music as well crafted as these does get me very excited. Stone Gods have all the ingredients to become a major force in the rock and I for one hope this year sees the band reaching ever-greater heights.
- For Our Friend Stuart June 7, 2010
- Boy Cried Cardiff October 28, 2010
- STONE GODS MAILING LIST February 28, 2009
- STONE GODS U.K TOUR March 7, 2009
