The Viking in the Wilderness Blog

Crystal Caravan: Against the Rising Tide (2010)

From their formation back in 2002 Swedish ensemble CRYSTAL CARAVAN have made a good job of perfecting their take on the good old fashioned in your face and at your throat, good old fashioned rock and roll style of music, and when they eventually issued their self-titled debut album in 2009 it made quite an impression.

Follow up effort "Against the Rising Tide" was ready towards the end of October 2010, and doesn't quite manage to reach the same heights as it's predecessors. We're still very much talking about late 60's and early 70's hard rock, with Steppenwolf, The Who and The Doors as likely influences, with something of an emphasis on the first to this time around. Powerful lead vocals John Kay style, staccato dramatic guitar and organ surges and a few nice details topping it all off in the shape of dampened 70's funky guitar licks and sophisticated percussion adding something of a fusion flavour to the proceedings. While most of the tracks are high energy performances through and through the band also find the time to explore slightly more fragile territories in the shape of Apple Hotel, while Focus and to some extent final effort Wrecking Ball feature a darker and slightly more laidback expression that should please fans of Jim Morrison & Co quite nicely. The latter ending on a rather different note however, as the band shift toward a Uriah Heep sounding galloping hard rock escapade in the final two or so minutes of that creation. Perhaps heralding a new stylistic twist to be explored further at a later time? Time will have to tell.

Crystal Caravan comes across as fine purveyors of classic hard rock from the time when this phrase first was coined, and is a band well worth seeking out by those who enjoy acts such as Steppenwolf, The Who and The Doors. In particular by those who have a soft spot for richly arranged varieties of that sound, as we're dealing with a band consisting of seven musicians who all contribute towards the creation of a rich and detailed sound.

My rating: 75/100

Track list:
1. We'll Always Lose
2. Love and Direction
3. Apple Hotel
4. I'm a Stone
5. Focus
6. Blue Blues
7. Take What's Yours
8. Wrecking Ball