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"Still inspired by Led Zeppelin, "Anthem Of The Peaceful Army" stands out from the legendary band and offers a collection of homogeneous, efficient tracks."
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4/5
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Everybody has been saying it in all tones, from webzines to paper magazines to FM radios: thirty-five years after her death, Greta Van Fleet's Americans have resurrected Led Zeppelin. The Airship's shadow more than hovers over the two EPs released last year, and while some talked about plagiarizing one of the greatest bands of all time, they were only a tiny minority whose critics were quickly drowned out by the deluge of deserved compliments saluting the talent of the newcomers.
Greta Van Fleet releases this second album, "Anthem of the Peaceful Army", less than a year after the acclaimed "From the Fires". The line up is unchanged, still made up of the three Kiszka brothers backed by Danny Wagner on drums. The record opens in a surprising way on a very "soft" title, 'Age of Man', which owes nothing to the legacy of Led Zeppelin, a song that evokes more Jon Anderson than Robert Plant. Endowed with a beautiful melody and a flayed song, 'Age of Man' constitutes an astonishing beginning, destabilizing even at the first listening but which reveals all its potential on the following ones.
This doesn't mean that Greta Van Fleet has decided to get rid of Led Zeppelin's legacy. Many titles find the magic of the English dinosaur, by the similarity of the vocals, of course, the timbre of Josh Kiszka but also his phrasing and these onomatopoeias added a little everywhere evoking in a hallucinating way the great Robert Plant. But beyond the vocals, the band brings Led Zeppelin back to life through its melodies mixing hard rock and blues and thanks to its virtuoso and sensitive electric and acoustic guitars accompanied by an energetic rhythmic pair.
The catchy 'The Cold Wind' and 'When the Curtain Falls', the muscular 'Lover Leaver (Taker Believer)' whose title alone reminds us of Led Zep, the acoustic and bluesy ballad 'You're the One' delicately spiced with a discreet organ and the boogie rock of 'Mountain of the Sun' whose guitar glissandos and percussive vocals bring the duo Page-Plant back to life, All of them could easily fit into any Led Zeppelin album without breaking the mould, as Greta Van Fleet does so with remarkable intelligence and obvious mastery.
But the Americans stand out noticeably from their prestigious model on a good half of the album. Besides 'Age of Man' already mentioned, this is the case of 'Watching Over', 'The New Day', 'Brave New World' and 'Anthem' whose melodies but also interpretation have little in common with the Londoners. The vocals in particular adopts a different phrasing. If 'Watching Over' and 'The New Day' are mid-tempos without anything exceptional, the three other titles hold the attention by their catchy and worked out melodies, offering some surprises such as the heavenly choirs of 'Brave New World' or the gospel of 'Anthem'.
Whether its influences are obvious or better digested, "Anthem of the Peaceful Army" remains homogeneous, effective and a most pleasant listening experience. Greta Van Fleet confirms all the good we thought of them in one of the best hard rock albums of the year. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Age Of Man (06:06) 02. The Cold Wind (03:16) 03. When The Curtain Falls (03:42) 04. Watching Over (04:28) 05. Lover Leaver (Taker Believer) (03:34) 06. You're The One (04:25) 07. The New Day (03:44) 08. Mountain Of The Sun (04:30) 09. Brave New World (05:00) 10. Anthem (04:41)
LINEUP:
Danny Wagner: Batterie Jake Kiszka: Guitares Josh Kiszka: Chant Sam Kiszka: Basse
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
3.4/5 (7 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (5 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH GRETA VAN FLEET
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT GRETA VAN FLEET
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