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Eyes of Albion - Review

Eyes of Albion

(Unsigned)

CLASSIC ROCK

Review By: SAM LOUGHLAN

Band members:     David Clinton (Vocals)

                          Robert Kemp (Guitar)

                          Adam Jackson (Bass)

                          Andy Mullins (Drums)

Track list:              Too Far Gone

                          Seventh Circle

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Today I bring you a little taster of a classic rock band brought to my attention by our good friend and promoter Gary Mcintosh of Mcintosh Inc Promotions. Now you may remember from previous reviews, that after spending the past year promoting for The Talbot in Blackpool, Gary is branching out further into the music industry. I would like to thank Gary for making yet another exciting piece possible.

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Formed in 2018 in England, UK, Eyes of Albion are a new style classic rock band. Guitarist and Sound Engineer Robert Kemp had a vision/concept of putting together a band that was just a little bit different from the general norm. He met bass man Johnny Muzz in the studio, the two of them just clicked. In came a singer that Johnny had heard about and, “When Davy started singing, Robert and I just looked at each other,” Johnny explained, “It was like it was always meant to be. Then all the guys needed was the final piece, Drums. They then brought in Andy Mullins.  Eyes of Albion was finally complete. They drew inspiration from many different styles from the Blues and 60’s 70’s hard rock, all the way through to Indian modal playing like that of Ravi Shanker and stretched to North African tribal music, and even native Australian sounds.

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By the end of 2021 the band had released two EPs entitled The Seventh Circle and Temple Noise, each containing five amazing tracks. The guys seemed to be on a roll! Unfortunately, after battling through the global pandemic, in April 2023 bass player and great friend Johnny Muzz was starting to have some serious on-going health issues and after a long and difficult conversation he decided to take a step back from the band. A new bassist was now required. Adam Jackson, who unbeknown to the rest of the band had already heard of Eyes of Albion and really liked the music, was the perfect fit. So onwards and upwards they go, ready to gig and write/record new and exciting rock music.

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So, I have chosen to review two tracks today, one from each EP. I initially flicked through all their tracks and instantly noticed that they are all moderately longer than most standard rock songs. I must say this made it difficult to get my head into at first as none of them were particularly catchy enough to attract my attention. After a couple of play throughs, I finally settled on ‘Too Far Gone’ and ‘Seventh Circle.’

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‘Too Far Gone’ is the second track from the EP The Seventh Circle. I feel this is by far the best track the guys have ever released. I singled this one out due to it being more upbeat than the rest of the EP and after a few play throughs I did eventually end up bopping along to its catchy bass line. At five minutes and nineteen seconds in length it does take some getting into, but it was definitely worth the effort. The track begins with a nice chilled but slightly bouncy intro giving off Lynard Skynard vibes before upping the beat and introducing pure classic rock melodies. I particularly got drawn into ‘Too Far Gone’ by the lyrics of the chorus. ‘Can’t turn away no more, can’t stop looking at the floor, can’t you see which way to run to, don’t you know I’m too far gone without you.’ I feel these lines really portray the depth and emotions of loss that is are being conveyed to the audience.

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We then take an unexpected turn and from three minutes nine seconds through to three minutes fifty seconds in with what I deem to be a pretty impressive musical interlude. With immense emphasis on the amazing Robert Kemp and his guitar skills this epicentre of the track really displays the unity of the band and how well they come together as one to produce pretty decent rock pieces.

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Now the second track I have chosen to review is actually self-titled, ‘Seventh Circle’ from the first EP but is the opening track on the 2nd EP entitled Temple Noise. Undoubtedly this was a little confusing at first but it does give the impression that the guys knew exactly where they wanted to go when they started recording. Does this give us a hint for upcoming material? Very possibly.

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‘Seventh Circle’ instantly gave me a flash back to the music created by English 60s Rock band Deep Purple. With an intro comprised of a strong repetitive bass line from Adam Jackson and then the addition of a drum overture by Andy Mullins, this track has a memorable sound that really does get stuck in your head. Now the intro for this track is quite long at 40 seconds in length which again can take a bit of getting into if you’re trying to find a track to gel with. ‘Seventh Circle’ overall has very dark undertones to its lyrics and is packed with some dark and slightly gothic imagery. ‘Twisted reflections in rooms with no doors, you signed a contract, you swear it’s not yours.’

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Like ‘Too Far Gone’, ‘Seventh Circle’ also boasts a remarkable musical interlude from three minutes forty to four minutes and twenty seconds in. This consistent demonstration of the guys tenacious and well-founded capabilities as a rock band is reassuring that Eyes of Albion may in-fact be able to break through further into the alternative music scene in the future.

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So, there you have it. A new fresh sound to the classic rock genre which is sure to give a great twist to what you might be used to hearing.

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