Screaming Eagles – From The Flames

Review by Gary Cordwell

Off Yer Rocka Recordings

Release date: 15 May 2014

Let’s face it, the worldwide release of Screaming Eagles From The Flames may be a case of fortuitous timing. Obviously, there is a huge amount of stored love for AC/DC, but, as good as they are, Black Ice simply lacks that fire of yore and with the band possibly currently (who knows?) in limbo, there is a large AC/DC-sized hole in the rock world… so who’s to fill it? The Screaming Eagles could be just the band – young, dumb and full of…cheap wine, and a genuine talent that puts them a few rungs higher up the ladder than the (admittedly fun) but one-trick DC-isms of Airbourne. So let’s address the elephant in the room and then turf him out (no animals were harmed in the writing of this review). Yes, a couple of tunes have an essence of our antipodean boogie buddies about them but the ‘Eagles are so much more, and it is when they step away from the Young brothers’ template that their talent really shines through.

‘Hungry For More’ has a fantastically thuggish, glam-punk riff that reminds me of the best work of the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones or early Buckcherry and it does indeed leave you waiting for more, this album is seriously addictive. The band’s bluesy credentials are nailed to the door with the brooding, slow burning slide intro of the menacing ‘One Man Revolution’ and the badass country blues (through a Marshall stack, natch) of the evil ‘Vampire’, replete with a great, sleazy wah-wah solo. And then we have perhaps the best track on the album, the fabulously groove-laden ‘Devil In The Dust’…these Norn Iron lads really must have a drop of good ‘ole boy in their blood as the defiantly greasy Southern rock riff is as authentic and thrilling as anything served up by Black Stone Cherry.

What really makes you sit up and take notice is the raw talent on display – Ryan Lilly and Kyle Cruikshank are a rock solid, meat and potatoes rhythm section while guitarist Adrian McAleenan is a name to look out for, his combination of drool-worthy riffs, power-chords and slashing solos are utterly compelling. Topping it all off are Chris Frys emotionally-committed vocals, the rock and roll roar is there, but so too is a raw soulfulness akin to early Paul Rodgers.

And it was a stunning achievement for the band for their song ‘Rock n Roll Soul’ to make Metro newspaper’s ten best songs of 2013 list, slugging it out with Daft Punk and Arcade Fire, and its shout-along chorus is sure to make it the last song of the night when they play live – so save me a place in the mosh pit ‘cos I’ll be there.

8 out of 10

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Track listing:

1.  All The Way
2. Blood
3. Devil In The Dust
4. Down The River
5. Fight The Fire
6. Hungry For More
7. One Man Revolution
8. Rock N Roll Soul
9. Take My Time
10. Vampire