A pleasant surprise for those feeling nostalgic and in need of a modern take on Hard Blues Rock.

Swedish outfit Sideburn are another throwback band with influences that remain firmly rooted in seventies-era Hard Blues Rock. With the sound and attitude that AC/DC, Nazareth and early ZZ Top pioneered, and was updated by Kix, The Cult and (largely forgotten but personal favourite) Junkyard, Sideburn's eighth album continues those traditions with the uninspiringly titled '#Eight'.

The rough-hewn vocal delivery from front-man Roland Pierrehumbert sounds, at times, a bit forced which makes it something of an acquired taste. However, if you like Rob Halford's (Judas Priest) lower and rawer vocal range as found on the likes of 'Grinder', or fancy Dusty Hill's (ZZT) gritty performance over that of Billy Gibbon's smooth, soulful and laid-back voice, Sideburn's latest album will resonate immediately. Once acclimated to Pierrehumbert's extremely gruff performance, '#Eight' reveals a strong collection of songs.

Consistency is the album's highlight and choosing personal favourites makes for a difficult task. However, 'All The While', 'Get Your Ride On', 'Give Me A Sign' and 'Save Your Soul' all demand attention. The twelve tracks (thirteen if you include the bonus selection) is a bold statement that can either succeed or suffer with the "more is more" mentality. However, the songs on '#Eight' all possess reasonable length, are mostly up-tempo affairs and maintain a comfortable flow from beginning to end which proves that the risk was well worth the reward.

Sadly, influence becomes imitation when the main riff from 'No Class' is nearly a complete facsimile of the ZZT classic 'Tush'. A bad song it is certainly not, but its impact is diminished due to that blatant reference. With an album featuring such a lengthy track-list, this is one they could have easily eliminated without any consternation. The bonus song, 'Wings Of Liberty', deviates stylistically the most. Slower in tempo and enhanced by strings and a harmonica solo, the mellow track is a welcome change of pace from the rest of the album and pays a nice homage to Southern Blues Rock bands like Blackfoot and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Overall, the band delivers a solid album and stands to be a pleasant surprise for those feeling nostalgic and in need of a modern take on Hard Blues Rock.

Brent Rusche