Wolfmother’s eponymous first album, released in 2005, featured powerful tracks like Dimension, the Grammy-winning Woman and the head-banging favourite Joker and the Thief. After the original bassist and drummer of the three-member band left, though, that pretty much sounded like the end of the adventure. But Andrew Stockdale, the big haired lead singer, along with new members, Ian Peres, Aidan Nemeth and Dave Atkins gave the world Cosmic Egg in late 2009. Curiosity regarding their second album was more than what most second albums get, because for all intents and purposes, this was a new band. The Wolfmother tag, of course meant that they had to live up to the sound of the original. In the event, Cosmic Egg goes along the same path that Wolfmother set in 2005. Powerful chords, howling solos and far-out lyrics, all of which sound like they’ve been transported from any number of Classic Rock albums, tell the listener exactly where Stockdale gets his musical inspiration from. The first track, California Queen, is a powerful song with a huge power riff, with Stockdale reaching out to God-alone-knows-where with his voice. The hard bassline completes the experience and makes the song almost like an adjunct to the first album. New Moon Rising is more way-out lyrics and hard guitar riffs, with Stockdale again testing the limits of his voice. White Feather is not so much heavy metal as blatantly Led Zeppelin-inspired, and is all the better for it. Sundial, on the other hand, is reminiscent of much of Black Sabbath. In The Morning attempts a mix of ballads and psychedelic lyrics with lines like Never have I felt like this before though sometimes well I’ve seen an opening door/Just like a stone, until its thrown, listen to the tone where the truth can make itself known. Somehow, the band never does get this particular combination and song right. Maybe sticking to what they do best means not attempting ballads. Redemption comes with the very next track, 10,000 Feet, with a stand-alone bassline that plays like it’s marching along in your head. Far Away is one of the slower tracks on the album, and takes some getting used to. Phoenix features a fast, slightly more modern riff and a guitar solo that keeps promising to break out of its cover. The lyrics are almost not there, both in terms of content and presence. If you’re looking for a growing up or a growing-out of their old skin, Wolfmother’s second album will not provide succour. If you’re looking for a modern album, Cosmic Egg isn’t for you. However, if you’ve listened to and liked Led Zeppelin, Beatles, The Rolling Stones or Black Sabbath, this album is definitely worth a listen, and more. My Rating: 3.5/5 ]]>
Comments are closed.