Bigelf's Cheat the Gallows was
one of my most anticipated albums in a long time. Their previous
release, Hex, seemingly came out of nowhere and ended
up as one of Live-Metal.net's highest rated releases ever.
Bigelf's sound is self described as “Pink Floyd ferocity
with Black Sabbath heavy-pop and electric guitars.”
It's hard to explain, but it sounds like you've heard Bigelf
songs decades before, yet they're re-imagined, different and
even better this time around. If Cheat the Gallows ends up being half as good as Hex, we still have
a great album.
The material shares similarities with Hex but strays
further into the realm of psychedelic rock. “No Parachute”
and “The Game” are both along the lines of any
Pink Floyd song. Album closer, “Counting Sheep”
is as psychedelic as it is bizarre. The entertaining and bombastic
opener, “The Gravest Show on Earth,” is one of
the many tracks here featuring “The Gallows Orchestra,”
giving the album the feel of a circus sideshow. “Blackball"
is a rocker reminding me of Thin Lizzy and other '70s rock,
while “Superstar” has the guitar-rock feel of
classic KISS. It brings a smile to your face and the hand
claps are a nice touch. The album's first single and video,
the catchy “Money, It's Pure Evil,” sounds like
a continuation of Hex's “Rock & Roll
Contract.” The lyrics tell stories of the dangers and
tricky business of the rock n' roll industry and how money
changes people for the worse.
Vocalist and Bigelf mastermind Damon Fox wears his influences
on his sleeve and incorporates them into his many vocal styles.
Hints of The Beatles, Ozzy and Floyd aren't only heard in
the music. The rest of the band—guitarist Ace Mark,
bassist Duffy Snowhill and drummer Froth—transitions
flawlessly, whether the songs call for psychedelic, progressive
or good old rock n' roll. As Fox has said in the media, there's
a fine line when trying to play this style of rock and little
room for error, and they pull it off.
Bigelf is not trying to reinvent the wheel. They are simply
taking what they like and putting their own modern spin on
it. A few years ago, a band like Bigelf probably wouldn't
been given the time of day, but times change, styles and interests
change, and now seems like as good as time as ever for Bigelf. Cheat the Gallows is another fantastic album from
this little known band. Their music spans generations and
the band has potential to be huge. You've probably heard
this music before, but you haven't heard it done by Bigelf. |
