Release Date: 1971/1972
Label: Capitol Records
Every
era has its superstars, the acts and bands that shine brighter than the rest of
the pack. They top the charts, play to
sold-out crowds, and amass millions in record sales. They influence the next
generations of musicians and their songs and go on to become a staple of
pop-culture, while sounding as good now as they did decades ago when they were
first released. Then there are the bands
that get lost in the shuffle. They have
plenty of talent, and maybe a hit song or two, but they were never able to make
it to the next level for whatever reason.
Bang is one such band.
Formed
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania not long after Woodstock in 1969 by two high
school friends, Frank Glicken (guitar, vocals) and Frank Ferrara (bass, lead vocals),
they were joined by Tony Diorio (drums) after he answered their ad in a
newspaper. One of the earliest American
bands to venture into the heavy metal genre, there were hopes of them being the
American answer to Black Sabbath. They signed to Capitol in the early 70s, and
eventually put out three albums, with the single “Questions” making it into the
top 100. They were never able to
duplicate its success and broke up after the release of their third album.
Bang and Mother/Bow
to the King are re-issues of their first two albums, originally released in
1971 and 1972. They are a joy to listen
to, making it a real shame that they could not manage to keep things together,
because there is a lot of quality music one these two albums. It makes one wonder what they would have
produced during the rest of the 70s if they never broke up.
The
opening of “Lions, Christians” is a great attention grabber with its caustic
and distinct guitar riff. This is an ace
of a hard rock song with some heavy presence.
This is a solid example of the early 70s hard rock sound that has such a
close kinship with heavy metal, a nice mesh of the right speed with a heavy
sound. “The Queen” is sure to be a
pleaser as it gives off a very strong Led Zeppelin vibe. “Last Will” takes the tempo down a
notch. The sound is a bit more pop
oriented, with a strong Beatles influence on this one.
“Come
with Me” picks things right back up with another soulful hard rock song. The
guitar parts are a real standout here, being very memorable and unique. One of
the album standouts, “Our Home,” is such a fantastic rocking tune, and should
really be essential listening for hard rock fans. It is one of those songs
where their skill, talent, and promise can be heard. Over forty years later, it still sounds so
fresh. “Future Stock” is slow, heavy,
and ahead of its time. This is one of those songs where their proto-metal sound
can clearly be heard. “Questions” is straight up and kills it with its
seductive bassline, and the drums complement it fantastically. Closing of the
album is the post-apocalyptic sci-fi themed “Redman,” that is almost too catchy
for its own good.
Mother/Bow to the King is their 1972 follow-up
to their self-titled debut. The opener, “Mother,” is pleasant sounding folksy
song, so feel free to clap along. It retains their hard rock flair with the
guitar solo near the end. One listen to “Humble”
and it is easy to see why these guys are categorized as proto-metal with the
heavy hard rock sound of this song. “Keep
On” is a solid rock song memorable for its funky guitar.
“Idealist
Realist” brings the heavy proto-metal sound of “Humble” back. The cover of The Guess Who’s “No Sugar
Tonight/New Mother Nature” clashes with the rest of the songs and sounds so out
of place on this album. “Feel the Hurt” is
an emotional lighter rocker. It is not
as heavy as “Humble” or “Idealist Realist,” but it has plenty of passion behind
it. Following it up is “Tomorrow,” an
up-beat rocker. “Bow to the King” starts
off slow and mellow and has an almost dreamlike quality to it. It is a successful divergence from their
usual hard rock and metal sound that veers into progressive rock
territory. It is a serene closer to an
interesting sophomore album.
These
Bang re-issues are a true blast from the past.
Bang is one hidden gem of a band that deserves to be rediscovered. Bang and
Mother/Bow to the King are two highly
creative and skillful albums that you cannot go wrong with. If you are in any way a fan of hard rock,
heavy metal, or of music from the 70s in general, then these Bang albums should
definitely be in your collection.
4.5/5 Stars
Key
Tracks: Lions, Christians, Our Home, Questions, Mother, Humble, Bow to the King
Tracks:
Bang
01. Lions, Christians
02. The Queen
03. Last Will
04. Come with Me
05. Our Home
06. Future Stock
07. Questions
08. Redman
Mother/Bow to the Earth09. Mother
10. Humble
11. Keep On
12. Idealist Realist
13. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
14. Feel the Hurt
15. Tomorrow
16. Bow to the King
Tracks:
Bang
01. Lions, Christians
02. The Queen
03. Last Will
04. Come with Me
05. Our Home
06. Future Stock
07. Questions
08. Redman
Mother/Bow to the Earth09. Mother
10. Humble
11. Keep On
12. Idealist Realist
13. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
14. Feel the Hurt
15. Tomorrow
16. Bow to the King
Brian McKinnon - Write A Music Review Sr. Staff
March 20, 2016
Review
Provided By Write A Music Review