Enduring New Wave of British Heavy Melal-ers High Treason hit back with a new album, Everything’s Gonna Change. Or is it plus ca change plus c’est la meme chose?
The CD has a nicely retro cover giving a proper then and now. There’s even an inner sleeve just like there used to be and the CD itself is black with fake grooves atop. Oh man, I’m back in the 1970s. I knew it’d happen one day……. It’s like I never left.
But what about the music? High Treason have put together a fine album of hard-edged rock with a melodic overtone and a bluesy tinge. Plenty of muscular riffs and meaty hooks to latch on to as well.
Point Blank chugs along apace to get things going. A nice foot-tapper. Out of Time I find slightly trippy to add another aspect to the band’s music in addition to the rock/melody/bluesy combo.
Last Names Done will have you singing along enthusiastically. And perhaps even dusting down the air guitar for the solo. Punchy with a kick.
The slower number – contracticingly titled Too Fast – is menacingly moody with a frantic mid-section.
The ballsy Big Dog barks and then some. The emotional Brother in the Sky builds nicely along with a huge chorus.
It all leads to the closing duo of the infectious Saturday Night Live (a re-working of their classic from the NWOBHM days) and the UFO-esque ballad of Blue Beyond.
An intriguing album with a varied approach all fitting together rather well.
Here’s a brief interview with the band – and a chance to win a copy of the album at the end of the interview.
Q: How has the album been received so far?
A: It seems to have gone down very well! The feedback from people has been really positive, and I think that’s because there’s something for everybody on the record, which is what we wanted to acheive with it. It’s been a fair while in the making, but it’s excellent to hear people are really enjoying it now it’s out. We just hope people will keep rocking along to it for a while to come!
Q: It feels like a proper old-style vinyl record with the cover, inner sleeve and the fake grooves. Is that a deliberate marketing ploy with a nod back towards the good old days?
A: It’s definitely a nod towards the old days. The album title and cover art are essentially about reflecting on the band’s history and how everything really has changed – but with a positive outlook towards the future. The approach to making the record was to do it the way it was done in the past; playing live together, recording onto tape, and all that good stuff that’s been a little lost with more modern music. So keeping that experience alive with the mock vinyl record CD was an obvious choice for us.
Q: What’s the band’s general approach to song writing – is it an individual or collective style?
A: Myself and our talented singer Peter wrote a good chunk of the songs on the album, and they had been ones we have refined as a band since their original conception. The rest of the guys are all excellent musicians, and we’re continuing to write lots more material as a group which we hope to share with the world in the near future.
Q: What can we look forward to from High Treason over the next few months – any plans for more recording or perhaps live shows?
A: We’re currently in the process of booking some more shows, having just played our album launch party at the Rock Den in Hatfield and of course Brofest which were both very successful. You’ll have to watch our Facebook page for show announcements! There are also some ideas floating around for more recording soon, especially as we have a good amount of material that didn’t make it onto the album – but nothing’s set in stone, yet so watch this space.
The guys at High Treason are also running a little album giveaway for my readers. You can grab the single download for free instantly, and be entered to win one of five CD albums. To be in with a chance, and to claim your free single, just visit this page and sign up for their newsletter: http://high-treason.net/album-giveaway
Here’s a taster video for your enjoyment:
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