I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish the year without at least one more Frontiers release crossing my path. And like every other Frontiers release I review, I like to play a little game called Frontiers bingo. Here’s how it works. For every statement that applies, consider it a point. Get all three and you’ve got bingo. Is it a musical throwback to the 80s? Is it a project/supergroup consisting of 80s musicians? Does Alessandro Del Vecchio have any involvement with it? Surprisingly, today’s featured Frontiers release only checks off one of these boxes (most check off at least two).
Land of Gypsies is the latest Frontiers creation. The project features the vocal talents of long time XYZ and former Great White singer, Terry Ilous, as well as long time Glenn Hughes collaborator, Fabrizio Grossi, which explains a lot. Unlike most Frontiers albums, which boast the neon lit retro sheen of a Stranger Things episode, Land of Gypsies’ self titled debut sounds like a hard rock album straight out of 1974. More specifically, if you had told me this was a lost Mk. III Deep Purple album, I would’ve believed it.
Sonically speaking, Land of Gypsies specializes in the same honest to goodness rock n’ roll as the aforementioned Purple, as well as Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, and Faces. Sure there’s touches of groove, funk, and blues throughout, but at the end of the day, this is some good ol’ fashioned hard rocking fun. The riffs are hooky, the melodies are memorable, and the production is pure. It should be noted that the organ/keyboard which permeates this release adds an extra layer of warmth and familiarity. These guys definitely have the aesthetic of the era down.
At the forefront of this release is Ilous’ voice, which elevates most of these songs from good to great. Now Ilous has always had a soulful voice, but I don’t recall him sounding this much like Glenn Hughes. Maybe it’s something that comes with age, the same way I’m convinced Jeff Scott Soto is morphing into Joe Lynn Turner. Whether it be the killer “Shattered”, piping hot “Not an Ordinary Man”, or Thin Lizzy inspired “Rambling Man”, you can rely on Ilous to deliver a powerful vocal performance with equal parts range, grit, and depth. It’s also all the more reason why his dismissal from Great White was nothing short of puzzling. If there was anyone to fill Jack Russell’s shoes, it was Ilous, but I digress.
Land of Gypsies will scratch your itch for the sounds of the 70s. It’s also more enjoyable and cohesive than most of the newer bands attempting this style (i.e. Joyous Wolf, The Temperance Movement, the latest Greta Van Fleet). I guess some things are better left to the veterans. I just hope said veterans can keep it together for a follow up release in the near future. Too many Frontiers projects are here today, gone tomorrow. Land of Gypsies deserves better than that!
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Mk. III Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie