Mount Carmel - Real Women

: Album Reviews; 26 March 2012

This really was the sound that drew me to gigs as a young man in the Seventies. Pure blues based long haired, balls out rock! Imagine a three piece power trio, bass, drums, guitars, gravely voice vocalist. Big amps cranked up to maximum volume and there you have Mount Carmel!

The band hail from Columbus, Ohio's and are made up of Matthew Reed, Patrick Reed, and Kevin Skubak. They were signed to local bael Siltbreeze Records for their self-titled Mount Carmel album in 2010 and have stayed there for this year’s follow-up Real Women.

I actually started listening to this record after listening to the recently (and also excellent), Big Brother And The Holding Co, ‘Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968’ CD and found that ‘Real Women’ sat perfectly well into that listening mood.

This music is blues rock whichever way you look at it, vocals sung over the guitar, pounding bass and drums. Melodic blues stretches and blisteringly glorious rocking out.

Think current band’s Dead Meadow or Black Mountain or past bands Cream, Free, Taste and guitarist led bands by Rory Gallagher and Robin Trower and that should give you the flavour as well as having you reach for you wallet.

For me a stunning record, let’s just hope they make it across the water for some live shows.

Pete

10/11