Southern Gentlemen welcome a new vocalist, Eric
Johns, for the band’s third release of metal/blues. While I didn’t
have an issue with the vocals of guitarist David T. Chastain on
their previous two releases, I am glad that Johns is on board. He
brings another element to the band’s musical message.
Chastain, whose resume is long and impressive, wastes
little time reconfirming he can still kick out a great solo. In
fact, he lets loose in opener “Even Now,” but is able to maintain a
greater awareness of song instead of being a guitar-hero showoff on
this release. That seems to be the theme for the band this time
around, especially in the rhythm section of drummer Mike Haid and
bassist Dave Smart, who provide an interesting foundation for
Chastain. Throwing Johns into the mix makes this a very good
listen.
What the SG have going for them is groove, especially
on “Don’t Go,” the best song here. Chastain’s riff is direct
without a lot of flash and Haid and Smart lock in. This sets up
Johns to sing a gut-wrenching tale about a woman leaving him:
“Don’t know what the Good Book says / ’cause it’s never been read
by me,” he sings, as if his life depended upon convincing the
listener that he is in agony over the woman leaving him. While the
subject matter is not new, what is new is the way this song
grooves. It’s a slower tune with a lot of space where the message
is allowed to resonate.
Another stellar track is the upbeat boogie-blues
“Caught You Red-Handed,” which is about walking into a room and
finding your woman with your best friend or, as John comments, “My
ex-best friend.” The chorus of “I walked in the door and you’re
both on the floor / There’s no way to pretend / I don’t know why,
there’s no need to try /caught you red-handed with my best friend /
My ex-best friend.”
Another great track is “Broken Man.” Chastain allows
his guitar riff to breathe with pauses that Haid and Swart fill in
with a solid groove. Perhaps the only misstep of the release is the
closer “Ladies Of The Night,” which sounds like something from the
Slide It In-era Whitesnake. The track sounds out of place
and the release would have been stronger if the band had ended the
release with “Reflections.” Lyrically and musically, this song
would have been a better final statement in this chapter of the
band’s history. The song ends with an excellent guitar solo and a
synchronized snare/guitar/bass fill that would have ended the
release perfectly.
As long as I’m airing wishes, I wish the band would
have made “Heaven Help Me Now” as a duet between Johns and
Chastain. I think the guitar riff and Johns’ vocals are a perfect
union that makes the drums and bass unnecessary. Maybe they would
consider making that song just guitar/vocals at any live shows they
perform.
I liked the first two Southern Gentlemen releases,
but pulling in Johns to do the vocals was a wise choice and could
help the band’s mainstream recognition. And for his part, Chastain
provides enough guitar flash to satisfy students of his playing
while also providing a feast for fans of hard-driving rock and roll
with some blues.
