If there’s any band in the pantheon of ’70s metal deserving of an all-star tribute, it’s Cactus. Not as enshrouded in obscurity as the Pentagrams and Bangs of the era, but not as universally revered as the Zeppelins, Sabbaths, Purples, etc., Cactus’ brand of heavy blues proved crucially influential on generations of bands to follow, influencing bands as diverse as Van Halen and King’s X, to Clutch and Church of Misery. Founding drummer Carmine Appice took note of this multi-decade spanning impact, celebrating the legacy of this iconic band with their latest album, Temple of Blues – Influences and Friends.
The “friends” on this album are those who were alongside Carmine for the ride 50+ years ago. Artists like Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley shared the stage alongside Cactus in The Amboy Dukes and Chicken Shack respectively. Mark Stein, the voice of Cactus’ predecessor, Vanilla Fudge, lends his vocal talents to the closing “Long Tall Sally”, giving us a taste of what could’ve been had the Fudge stuck it out into the ’70s. The “influences”, on the other hand, are Joe Bonamassa, Doug Aldrich, Dee Snider, dUg Pinnick, and countless other now legendary rockers who got their heads blasted by those classic Cactus albums in their youth.
While I’m usually vehemently against re-recordings, Carmine Appice has curated Temple of Blues in a way that it doesn’t feel cheap or forced. The premise alone is intriguing enough to lure in diehards, and perhaps even a casual or two along the way. As for the re-recordings themselves, they largely stay true to the high energy ethos of the originals without coming off as a blatant rehash. Take for example “Evil”, which sees the nearly 70 year old Dee Snider doing his best Rusty Day impersonation and subsequently laying down one of his finest vocals ever (I don’t type that lightly). Or how about “One Way…Or Another”, which sees Uncle Ted Nugent laying down some heavy guitar licks while dUg Pinnick grooves with the same ease as he does in his own King’s X.
Emphasizing the “blues” side of the blues rock equation are straightforward cuts like “Bro. Bill”, “Alaska”, “No Need to Worry”, and “Big Mama Boogie”. Just like their peers in Zeppelin, Cactus could do blues both electrified and unplugged with equal confidence. And speaking of electrified blues, how about the ultra-heavy romps of “Guiltless Glider”, “Let Me Swim”, and “Oleo”, the latter of which features Billy Sheehan paying tribute to the late Tim Bogert with an absolutely thunderous bass solo? At no point do these performances surpass the excellence of those originals from half a century ago, but again, that was never the point here.
For the countless tributes Zeppelin and Sabbath have received from the ’90s onwards, it’s about time Cactus are paid their rightful due once and for all. While Carmine Appice went onto much success with the likes of Rod Stewart, King Kobra, Blue Murder, and so forth, there’s no denying the gravity of what he achieved alongside Tim Bogert, Rusty Day, and Jim McCarty in Cactus, which is all the more reason why I commend him for expanding upon their legacy. “Rock N’ Roll Children” near and far, enter the Temple of Blues and kneel before the altar of the mighty Cactus.
7 out of 10
Label: Cleopatra Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, Free
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