Michal Kulbaka – Guitar
Mark Dempsey – Bass
Marius Appelgryn – Drums
This is how Rock music should be – Hard, Heavy and in your face. Recorded at Westland Studios in Dublin, this eight-track album is short on time (33 minutes) but is crammed full of memorable songs, excellent musicianship and is a brilliant debut. Samarkind is truly a cosmopolitan band with members from Poland, Ireland, and South Africa. The first impression is what a great voice singer David Paul Byrne has, perfectly suited to the Bluesy Hard Rock songs on this album.
Kicking off with Black Rain the album sets out to capture the listener’s attention and showcases exactly the theme for the rest of the music here with its heavy riffs and catchy chorus. The best song on the album Sunstroke Heart follows which is instantly memorable and will become a live favorite for sure. The song has a great guitar solo and shows how musically skilled and proficient the band is. Skinny Rivers is a song for ‘movers and shakers’ and even my hips started to sway to the rhythm! Things inevitably slow down a little for Good Man Call although Fire And Blood raise the bar again and is an absolutely solid heavy rocker. The last two songs are ballads which, for this reviewer, is unnecessary because Samarkind is an out and out Rock band.
This debut album shows Blues and Hard Rock is alive and well in Samarkind’s capable hands. With hints of Led Zeppelin (I know it’s been said before) and a definite 70’s Hard Rock feel, the album is an essential purchase for classic rock fans and I look forward to catching this bunch of talented individuals live and will be following their career with particular interest.
Written by: Simon Kneller
Rating: 9/10
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