Label: Nineteen73 2016
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom
Preacher are an eight (8!) piece Progressive Rock band from Scotland who have been making a name for themselves thanks to their regular touring schedule and festival appearances. Just as ordinary as deep fried mars-bars, black pudding, and haggis to the common people of Scotland? Well... Aftermath, the follow-up to their 2014 debut 'Signals' take its inspiration from the likes of Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Uriah Heep, Dire Straits, Moody Blues. etc.
It's very much the seventies generation, its music and musicians... and to merely add more confusion to the subject, singer, main song writer, and guitarist Martin Murphy has a voice and singing style reminiscent of David Bowie and Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits). Not quite as great though, quite gritty, and it's like if you're listening to the slightly daft, reletive of the two legends. Not too shabby though. Not too shabby at all.
The opening title track, taking its lead as the music dips into the sea on the dark side of the moon (pun intended) only to come back for air on the surface and "Welcome To The Fray". The latter track sounding like if the Dire Straits tribute act decided to record their own version and new arrangements to 'Welcome To The Machine'. A little too often the compositions are similar to well-known songs and while "Vinyl", for example, does allow their own trademark and sound to come through, it's still very much the Pink Floyd structure at play.
Hardly everything on here is Floyd-ish though and the grittier tracks such as "War", might not please the ones waiting for another shot of Pink. The musical elements that make the Prog legends so unique and engaging are only present on every other track here, and it's a shame considering that The Preacher's are at their best as Floyd wannabees. Neat!
preacherrock.co.uk
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