HION MARTELL - review added 14th December 2010
Album Review: Will Cure Any Disease (2010)
For fans of: Classic Rock... and medical marvels
Swedish band Hion Martell - Christer Nilsson and Ulf Hagbergon on guitar and vocals, Håkan Nilsson on drums and vocals, Peter Subäck on keyboards, and Stefan Larsson on bass - take their name from the famous cognac brand. You pronounce the band High On Martell. You can probably work out how it came about...
The band started back in '92, and "Will Cure Any Disease" is their seventh CD. The sound takes it's influences from British blues rock, American Southern rock, 70's glam rock and more. This is definitely a band built for the live stage, but actually the music works well on album too.
Good:
Some of the songs here are a real trip down memory lane; not because they're actually old, but because they capture the vibe of times gone by so well without resorting to copy-catting. Although the vocals are inconsistent, when they are good they are very good. The musicianship is ample - there's nothing exceptional, but it ties in well with the style of music they are playing.
Not So Good:
Not every song is successful, in fact the gulf between the best and worst moments is surprising large. When the vocals aren't good, they really are without character - not bad, just lifeless. This is another album (do seem to get a lot) where the album artwork doesn't do justice to the music inside.
The Songs:
'Built As A Boxer' is an okay chilled retro effort that recalls T-Rex. 'Fed Up' is a wonderful bouncy track with a cleverly atmospheric vibe. 'Wasting Time' is a fun party track, not far removed in style from the recent Marseille album. '(Don't Cry) Mary Anne' is likeable, if a tad subdued. 'Long Distance Love' is even more subdued, but it kind of works in a mellow Van Morrison way. The racy 'Any Disease' is excellent in the places, especially the chorus.
'Brand New Day' is pretty boring to be honest. 'Don't Mess' is much more like it, if more live than album orientated. 'In The Meadows' is another flat track that does nothing for me. '7 Devils' rocks it up in a big way and is cool fun. 'B.D.M. (Beer Drinking Music)' is an upbeat end to the album, and we like it a lot.
In Summation:
"Will Cure Any Disease" is very likeable and bodes well for the live show. It's too inconsistent to be a great album, but there's definitely some quality poking it's head through regardless.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall:
Check out... 'Fed Up', and the band live...
Track List:
01. Perfect Remedy (Intro)
02. Built As A Boxer
03. Fed Up
04. Wasting Time
05. (Don't Cry) Mary Anne
06. Long Distance Love
07. Any Disease
08. Brand New Day
09. Don't Mess
10. In The Meadows
11. 7 Devils
12. B.D.M. (Beer Drinking Music)
Label: Viskningar och Vrål
Artist's website(s): Hion Martell | MySpace
