Wrong Side Of Paradise

Product Information

This record, the first of a multi-album deal with Earache was recorded in the Autumn of 2021 at Studio 606 in Northridge California and Toochtoon Sound in Redmond Oregon with producer by Jay Ruston who did such a wonderful job on ‘Another State of Grace’. Green And Troubled Land” is perhaps the most political song the band has ever released. “I ain’t through with two-faced charlatans, savaging this land” spits the words, and its proud Celtic sounds make this one a highlight, but also how the envelope was being pushed this time. There’s a lot of “firsts” here and that extends to the first cover (from memory) they’ve released. They do a fun job with The Osmonds “Crazy Horses” too (although to be honest it’s more or less impossible not to make that one sound euphoric, right?

The production on “Wrong Side of Paradise” is top-notch, with each instrument and vocal having its own space to shine. The band’s use of dynamic range and attention to detail in the mixing process result in a rich, layered sound that is sure to captivate listeners. And the positivity, the determination and the fight, shine through in a series of highlights whose sway and swagger give heart and hope. The quartet duly swings and swaggers through Pay Dirt and Burning Rome where on the latter they almost replicate a Big Country bagpipe guitar sound. The power stomp on Hustle where some harp adds a bluesy feel to the weight of the riff while reinventing an old phrase in the lyric: “ All good things come to those who hustle.” The power of hustling indeed… Burning Rome’ that follows, is the big one for me. A slower song it has everything you already love about this band and then some. It’s stunning. Better Than Saturday Night.flac [03:40.049; FLAC • 1120 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 29.39 MB (30 814 204 B)]Riding Out the Storm.flac [03:51.304; FLAC • 1084 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 29.90 MB (31 354 334 B)] Let’s not forget the fantastic cover of The Osmonds “Crazy horses”, with its irresistible riff this has to be everyone’s guilty pleasure. Production and Sound

Green and Troubled Land.flac [04:50.899; FLAC • 1071 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 37.14 MB (38 945 004 B)] Catch Yourself On.flac [04:18.070; FLAC • 1066 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 32.81 MB (34 408 762 B)]Wrong Side of Paradise.flac [03:44.030; FLAC • 1118 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 29.86 MB (31 311 414 B)] I will freely admit that when Scott Gorham’s departure was announced my interest in the band dropped by at least 50%. But I actually have ended up very impressed with this new album, taking a few chances to broaden their range while retaining enough of their signature sound , making it a very promising start to their new era. ****

This Life Will Be the Death of Me’ is another mellow song to close the album, even with a flavour of Van Morrison while an excellent wah-wah solo as the song winds to a conclusion process to be a fitting requiem for Christian Martucci’s tenure in the band. Crazy Horses.flac [02:24.737; FLAC • 1164 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 20.09 MB (21 069 310 B)] Don't Let the World (Get in the Way).flac [03:48.135; FLAC • 1094 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 29.77 MB (31 212 639 B)] Suspicious Times.flac [04:05.947; FLAC • 1082 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 31.74 MB (33 276 623 B)]

Burning Rome.flac [03:49.267; FLAC • 1064 kbps • 16 bit \ 44100 Hz • stereo; 29.10 MB (30 517 658 B)] The album takes an odd turn for the worse in the middle with ‘Catch Yourself On’, whose guitars have an almost indie feel, as disjointed as its rather odd title suggests and a faithful cover of ‘Crazy Horses’ rather pointless. From 2 January we’ll be featuring significant albums reviewed 2003-2023 in our featured album sequences as part of GRTR!@20