Man, I’ve been listening to Freedom Hawk for almost a decade—I first reviewed their MeteorCity debut in early 2010. Now signed to Ripple Music (who recently reissued the band’s first album), these long-running Virginia rockers are back with another heaping platter of southern-fried grooves.
Beast Remains begins on a head-nodding note with “Solid Gold,” a rollicking mid-paced rocker than melds mellow verses with a heavy, groovy chorus and a galloping interlude. And that guitar solo? Solid gold, dude! “Danger” might be a little more laid back, despite its recurring Iron Maiden galloping riff, but the soaring vocals on the chorus definitely display more than a hint of urgency. And the bright, clean tones of “Darkness and the Light” are sort of soothing—until the first heavy riff kicks in. I think I detect a theme here…
But “Brutal Winds” bucks the trend with an up-tempo verse, chugging along like vintage Judas Priest before slowing down for a chorus more akin to Kyuss and a muy mellow solo. “Deep Inside” also has a classic metal chug, with a couple stop-start riffs thrown in for good measure. On the other hand, the title track is a little more mid-paced, a little more bluesy… but definitely maintains those desert-rock vibes. Not every song sounds the same—and I like that.
ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/beast-remains
