Whiskey-soaked Bluesey Rock with a little angst….
Released on 10 February 2017 by 10 South Productions and reviewed Stephen Brophy
When you come from South Louisiana like Vermilion Whiskey do, there is already an expectation that you are coming from either the Blues, Country or Rock genres. And these guys are straight out of a smoke-filled room with a bluesy rock groove and an added bit of attitude.
This new 6-track EP follows on from 2013’s debut album 10 South, and provides a nice re-introduction to the band. This time around it’s a little bit more energetic and rock driven in places as opposed to the more sludgy doomy sound on the album, with lots of screaming guitars, driving riffs and plenty of solos. At times on tracks like ‘Road King’ and ‘The Past Is Dead’ they almost veer towards a groove like Clutch or Planet Of Zeus. It’s these and closer ‘Loaded’ that, played a little bit faster and just seeming to work better with the style they play, linger longest in the memory. From this outing the faster tracks on the EP would certainly make for a powerful and live show. And bloody loud! Which is how this music should be.
This EP may not be mind-blowing nor does it break any new ground, but that’s not to say that it isn’t a nice piece of work. With plenty worthy of your attention, it will be interesting what direction they take for the new album and it will be an interesting one to hear. Vermilion Whiskey is a band worth keeping an eye on. If you like Southern styled bluesy rock, give it a shot. Their change in style suits them more and it’s an area that’s less saturated and will hopefully bring the guys a lot of success.
7 out of 10
Track list:
- Road King
- The Past Is Dead
- Come Find Me
- Monolith
- One Night
- Loaded Up
