Southview
Drink To the Poor Damned Souls
Review by Mike Korn
Southview is a band from my home area of Northern Illinois that I've been a fan of for quite a while now. The first time I saw these guys, I knew they were of a quality higher than the local bar bands that play the circuit. Their sound is earthy and centered on metal basics and not trendy in the least. These guys didn't start up to get free drinks (well, I don't imagine they ever turned those down) or a Myspace page. With Drink to the Poor Damned Souls, they put forward a very credible self-promoted release that should certainly get them interest. Their sound is fairly unique, which is also a plus. There's a Southern grittiness and bluesy swagger to a lot of the material which brings Black Label Society and Corrosion of Conformity to mind. There’s lots of groove and flow. At the same time, there's a lot of intricate twin guitar harmony work that calls to mind Thin Lizzy and even Iron Maiden, bringing an epic feel to the music that moves it beyond just bluesy hard rock. Add in dashes of thrashy aggression and you have something which could really appeal to a lot of metal fans. There's still some polishing that needs to be done and I don't think they've gotten anywhere near their peak yet. But Drink to the Poor Damned Souls is an effort the band can be proud of. Here's hoping we get a lot more "Horns, Beer and Metal" from these guys in the years to come!
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
|