Hailing from Cologne, Cherokee brings to mind the bluesy based influences of Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, ZZ Top and The Outlaw, following the success of their two-tracks intro in 2015, they are back with more.
Ethelred Hero of Trist, the opening song starts with a clean minor breakdown before the ripping guitar melody kicks in, followed by the vocals. A tale of a hero, or a villain depending on your view, Ethelred brings to mind progressive rock of days gone by and is certainly going to draw comparisons to the hard rock and mixing time signatures of other bands. A brilliant opener. The Yellow King with its harmonised guitars and its tale of yore and gander, brings to mind Thin Lizzy, and warm summer nights spent drinking beer and talking with friends, a great song for the time that the album is coming out in, and the vocals bring echoes of Geddy Lee.
Blood Worth Its Weight In Gold starts with a bass line, and a guitar riff reminiscent of a bluesy showdown from an old western, it continues in that vein, before moving into a more turbulent rhythm, that merely reinforces such a view. The guitar work is simply exquisite in this song as it is with the rest of the album and promises more. Firewater starts with an impressive guitar solo, reminiscent of Eruption from Van Halen’s debut, it then moves into a traditional rocker that is fast, heavy and moving. Sure to get the crowds moving when played live.
With this record, Cherokee shows that they’ve got chops and they are here to stay. This record has got to be one people buy when it is released on 9th April.