Stone Axe - Self-Titled
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| by Chris Rowella |
I have a feeling Tony Reed and I would get along famously. His previous outfit, Mos Generator, was steeped in the Seventies hard rock tradition of Riffs, Hooks, and Blooze. With his new project Stone Axe — essentially a two-man band (Reed records all the instruments) — he’s delving even deeper into the smoky bong of history and coming up with something special.
Riders of the NightThere’d Be Days (excerpt)
There is a big difference between a band like Stone Axe and Wolfmother, whom I consider to be the most popular “retro rock” band out there. Wolfmother come across as a copy of a copy, picking out the lowest common denominator aspects of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Stone Axe are all heart and soul; they’re not concerned with looking or sounding “right” — they just are.
The album kicks off with “Riders of the Night,” a tune centered around a slinky Leaf Hound/Free riff complemented by the priceless vocals of Dru Brinkerhoff. Reed is a riff machine, but Brinkerhoff brings it all together. He’s Paul Rodgers, Phil Lynott, or Deep Purple-era David Coverdale at any given time. The orchestral section on “My Darkest Days” recalls Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” or Zeppelin circa Houses of the Holy, while the one-two punch of “Sky Is Falling” and “There’d Be Days” sounds like the evolution between The Small Faces and The Faces.
The only criticism, if I can even call it that, is that Stone Axe are trying to be too many excellent things at once. But when you worship at the altar of so many classic bands, it’s inevitable that influences bleed through. Can you imagine there was a world not long ago where a band like Stone Axe would play arenas and have women throwing panties and hotel keys their way? I can, and to paraphrase Seth Rogen in Knocked Up, it makes me sad all day. Spinning this album cranked to 11 remedies that immediately.
