Chickenfoot: a new supergroup in action
CD REVIEW
Â
Ciro Hiruma
Fights and more fights. Grief and discussions to gain media and the band eventually split. In the case of Van Halen, in equal parts, two players for each side.
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his brother, drummer Alex, carry on his group, which became a family business. The entrance of bassist Wolfgang, Eddie's son, showed he is a musician right, but his lack of charisma and shyness is evident in the shows. On vocals, the return of original member David Lee Roth.
The new Van Halen tour is a nostalgic event, but it is curious to hear music that were many years out of the setlist of the shows.
Meanwhile, another faction of the band, vocalist Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony, lost no time and formed the so-called supergroup: guitar, Joe Satriani, who needs no introduction. And on drums Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Thus arose the Chickenfoot, unique and unusual name that is also the title of the CD's debut album.
In "Revolution Avenue", Satriani opens with a virtuoso solo in the style and recalls Eddie Van Halen "Mean Street" (CD Fair Warning, 1981). Hagar does not give a damn about the fact that the past 60 years: he lets his voice with all the power you deserve. In addition, the composition is a hard rock sound with a remarkable quality of production.
The pace of "Soap on the Rope" is very reminiscent of Van Halen OU812 (1988) and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991) and is highlighted for the guitar riffs incisive that coordinate aggressive melodic line of the song.
"Sexy Little Thing", as the title of the lyrics brings a typical Sammy Hagar, but the music is surprising. It is a folk-blues that highlights the band's more acoustic side and an ideal chance for Michael Anthony show its strong presence in backing vocals.
The tempo of "Oh Yeah" begins to show a certain repetition in the formula of the CD soundtrack to the moment when the chorus starts a burst of weight. The low wins the foreground and Satriani is the perfect way to ground, one of the best moments on the album. The opposite of "Runnin 'Out," which brings no novelty begins to pall and the lack of change in progress.
"Get It Up" arrives in time to save the situation: Chad Smith accelerates the speed of sticks and dumps decibels on Hagar, who rages the letters out loud. Joe Satriani performs with intelligence and blend sequences with slower speed, close to the blues. The result is great.
It's a shame that "Down the Drain" does not hold the same pike. The greatest merit is for the use of guitar effects pedals and noise variations responsible for the more creative side of music.
The band returns to thrill in "My Kinda Girl", more dynamic than the previous one, the weight dosed just right and a lot of fun, which recalls the spontaneity of the current solo Sammy Hagar. Moreover, the ballad "Learning to Fall" is a typical composition of the singer, combined with a beautiful introduction of Satriani.
"Turnin 'Left' is just a theme that serves as a passage to the last track," Future in the Past. " The beginning resembles the classic "Can not Find My Way Home" from Blind Faith. But the similarity ends there, the instrumental gains momentum and becomes a powerful hard rock, ideal end to the CD.
The debut album of Chickenfoot is not sensational, but it shows that the union of these musicians earned a good work, done with great vitality. There is energy to spare for new projects and creative potential can be better spent on a second album.
Disclosure
Links:
