There are a slew of very fine rock & Blues bands around the UK at the moment and These Wicked Rivers are probably up there with the best of them. They have been around for about ten years and so have developed from callow youths to thoroughly rounded players, managing to develop their own sound while staying true to the genre they are in.
They consist of Rich Wilson Bass, Arran Day Lead Guitar, Dan Southall Drums, John Hartwell Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar and have a heavy, drum fuelled sound. Massive riffs and fine harmonies are their trademark and I have to say that the songwriting is top notch.
They have no problem creating huge soundscapes or filling them with music of monumental stature.
The big numbers such as ‘Testify’ or the title track show their playing abilities, the twin guitars producing a powerful hammerblow of sound, but they can clearly play more softly as they do on ‘When The War Is Won’ or ‘Don’t Pray For Me’.
These Wicked Rivers have the kind of sound, and make the kind of music, that gets festival crowds crushing the barriers in front of the stage along with memorable songs that make you want to go back to time and again.
A few numbers got my memories thinking back to some of the great bands of the seventies, and I think they could hold their own with some of the classic rock bands of the time.
Personal favourites would include ‘The Family’ with its speedy riffs and the huge punch to the solar plexus of ‘The Riverboat Man’ but there isn’t a weak track here and a few that would make great anthems for their live shows.
