Thanks to those nice people at Obscure NWOBHM Releases we have another excellent lost gem from the old days to enjoy and wonder why the band wasn’t massive. This time it’s Driveshaft. What a band they could have been.
Originating from Ireland in the early 1980s, Driveshaft built quite a reputation over in the “Emerald Isle” sharing a stage with the likes of MSG, Saxon, Grand Slam and the late, great Rory Gallagher.
Despite that swell of home support and well-received singles such as Heartbreaker and Hot Love perhaps opportunities were limited for Driveshaft and perhaps various line-up instability didn’t help with only guitarist Gerry Lane being an ever-present.
The band moved to London and set about recording some demos and a planned album. Former Uriah Heep man John Sinclair was the producer and the Heep influence can be heard. Some of the cuts in the London Demos sound not unlike Abominog period UH. And that’s not a bad thing.
However – without a record deal, Driveshaft soldiered on for a few years before calling it a day around the end of the decade.
Such a pity – they were certainly talented as you will hear should you pick up a copy of the Heartbreaker anthology. Hurry up though – as usual with the label, it’s a very limited run of CDs.
Sixteen songs to enjoy. Eight each split between the London Demos and various singles.
All full of superb, chunky heavy/hard rock also strong on melody with some tasty harmonising too.
Take Heartbreaker for example. A cutting riff and a proper rocker. Very tasty. Hold On has big drums, a simple throbbing bass line and a monster hook. Then on to Lonely Nights Lonely Days – an excellent five minutes or so which could have come straight off Abominog or Equator. A song full of presence and atmosphere as it slow-burns along. Possibly my favourite. Have a listen.
Suspicion strays out in to a sort of funky with a bit of jazz-rock feel and is impossibly catchy.
And that’s just the first four songs of the London Demos. Top stuff all round with plenty of variety to show what song writing and musical talent Driveshaft had.
So much to enjoy throughout. The singles arguably “rock” harder yet all are easily accessible. Check out in particular Hot Love and Keep Outta My Way.
No doubt Driveshaft had “it”. Though joined any number of contemporaries at the time as NWOBHM was burgeoning with too much talent and not enough space for all of it.
If you can and there are any left – I do suggest you get your hands on a copy the Heartbreaker anthology and get your ears around Driveshaft for yourself.
As I usually do with releases like this, I default to Sonic Age Records:
https://sonicagerecords.com
See if you can snap one up.
Please support us and buy us a coffee:
