Hear Us Out is the debut album from The Flood. The band consists of Chris Ousey (Hartland, Snakecharmer), Jim Kirkpatrick (FM), Didge Ditital (ex-FM), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) and Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Talas and others).
It’s a superb album of proper good old fashioned hard rock songs by a very seasoned bunch of musicians with an impressive track record who know their craft and show that to full effect here.
Ousey’s vocals are typically smooth and powerful. Kirkpatrick churns out the chunky riffs and blazing yet measured solos effortlessly. I’ve admired Glockler’s drumming for decades (despite me not being much of a Saxon fan) and he puts in a fine stint here. Sheehan does what Sheehan does best with that unmistakable bass sound of his and Digital chips in with nice swelling keys and some deft touches when called up to the front.
A dozen songs with around a fifty minute total running time. Nothing’s wasted or overblown to fill the time for the sake of it. The songs are punchy, heavy, tight, to the point and superbly performed as you’d expect with the names involved here. Kirkpatrick’s guitar in particular is outstanding.
It’s clearly evident from the opener – Dangerous Dawn – that The Flood are on to a winner. It’s an upbeat hard rocker with a huge hook and chorus with Ousey’s vocals oozing class and Fitzpatrick’s authoritative guitar all backed up with that huge rhythm section of Glocker and Sheehan. Dangerous Dawn sets a mighty template for what’s to come over the remaining eleven cuts. Have a listen:
The Devil He Don’t Care and Fight or Flight are a fine pair of classic hard rockers. Can I Call it Home slows it down being a moody ballad style affair allowing Ousey to further demonstrate his soulful side before The Flood and Stand Up send things up to eleven and beyond and yet again Kirkpatrick’s guitar work is outstanding. As it Digital’s flourishing keyboard interplay.
No duff stuff whatsoever on this album. All the way through it is first class proper hard/heavy rock with feeling. The Flood might (arguably) be a bit of a silly name although with the calibre of Ousey, Kirkpatrick, Glocker, Sheehan and Digital coming up with an album as good as this, who cares…..? It’s all about the music, right?
Outstanding stuff from an outstanding line-up. Let’s hope it’s not a one-off and there’s more to come from them.
>> THE FLOOD HEAR US OUT ON AMAZON <<
Oh, and if you think the Flood might be for you – check out the album Chris Ousey did with Steve Mann which was issued around the middle of last year ago called Is Anybody Listening. That’s in a similar style and most certainly recommended.