Biff en Seb, vader en zoon, samen dus Heavy Water. Wat ik hoor is best leuk, al is enig spoor van originaliteit wel héél ver te zoeken. Classic hard rock met een vette scheut blues, zoals we al tal van keren gehoord hebben. Mij schiet meteen de combinatie Jake E. Lee en Ray Gillen te binnen, de periode van Voodoo Highway (Badlands) en Retraced. De stem van Seb gaat ook die richting uit en is best te pruimen. Papa zou beter al het vocale werk aan zoonlief overlaten en zich op de basgitaar focussen, al is die ouwe strot natuurlijk uiterst herkenbaar. Zwakste schakel in het geheel: de drums! Troefkaart: de vette sound. Red Brick City verschijnt op 23 juli via Silver Lining Music.
lees
Lockdown blues? Oh you know it.
Slathered in classic Rock ‘n’ Roll soul and soaked in gritty, hard-baked riffs, and topped off with rich, raunchy vocals… Welcome to Heavy Water and their debut album Red Brick City, the lockdown 2020 project between Saxon’s Biff Byford and his son Seb Byford, ten songs which bring you on an irrepressible raw blues-backed journey through influences and invention, a journey which has you hooked from the first note.
The foundations for Heavy Water’s sound are set in both that incredible father/son chemistry and a lifetime of know-how and experiences. Take the title track -and first single- ‘Red Brick City’: all steam and smoulder wrapped around a riff Soundgarden would’ve been proud of. Red Brick City moves with the class and cadence of a cracking journey uniting vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll sensibilities with the crackle and excitement of a fresh, youthful perspective.
“We decided to do something together in these dark times and the family came together to help get this album off the ground” explained Seb and Biff.
Seb Byford recorded and engineered Red Brick City at the Big Silver Barn in York, UK, while the drums were recorded by Ben Hammond at Reel Recording Studio in York. Seb produced the album with Biff, and Jacky Lehmann mastered. Red Brick City sees Seb take the reins on guitar and vocals, with Biff taking up the bass and vocal mantle. Tom Witts plays the drums, while Dave Kemp rounds out the Heavy Water line-up on keyboards and saxophone. A rich, lustrous ride through profoundly rewarding rock waters. To cap off this family affair, the packaging photos were taken by Steph Byford.
“We had great fun doing this album, working together on the songs and recording during lockdown,” concluded Biff and Seb. “It’s all recorded without samples or profiles... just loud and proud!”
