Back in 2020 (Remember that year?), there were a ton of great albums that unfortunately fell victim to the pandemic wormhole, wallowing in obscurity with little to no fanfare. One such album was Time Rift’s debut, Eternal Rock. When it dropped in the earliest days of the pandemic, I was immediately taken aback by its infectious hooks and ’70s metal maneuvers. Needless to say, it served as a fitting soundtrack during those long, drunken, summer nights when all I could do was wreck my liver in the comfort of my own backyard as opposed to a packed metal bar somewhere in the city (looking at you Reggies).
Fast forward a half decade and a lot has changed. Yours truly is now 13 months sober, but fear not. My hunger for ’70s metal worship is still voracious as ever. Time Rift too have seen some changes. For one, they’ve hooked up with the good folks at Dying Victims Productions for the release of their long awaited sophomore album, In Flight. Even more noteworthy, founding guitarist/vocalist Justin Kaye has pivoted his focus towards guitar and bass, leaving the vocals to the band’s latest addition, one Ms. Domino Monet. Yes, you read that correctly: Time Rift is now a “female-fronted” band.
With this shift in personnel, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t perhaps unfairly, albeit subconsciously, drawing comparisons to other “female-fronted” acts while listening to In Flight. Lucifer and the heavier side of ’70s Heart came to mind on white knuckle rockers like “I Am the Spear” and “The Hunter”. That said, Monet’s vocal approach suits Time Rift well. She doesn’t boast the operatic delivery or stupefying range of say a Leather Leone, but rather sings for the song, delivering equal measures piss, vinegar, and a swaggering attitude like the love child of Ann Wilson and Steven Tyler at his most intoxicated.
While the musical approach is still strictly rooted in ’70s hard rock and metal, there’s certainly been some changes in this department as well. Whereas Eternal Rock was the “Hey dude, let’s get stoned in the parking lot” album, In Flight feels like the more mature release, both musically and thematically. Kaye’s riffage boasts a greater heft and conviction, at times channeling Black Sabbath and Pentagram (i.e. “Follow Tomorrow”, “Coyote Queen”, “In Flight”). By no means are these songs “doom metal”, but they definitely boast a low, thick rumble that’ll appeal to those of the doom ilk. Throw in a frenetic NWOBHM inspired rager (“Dancing with the Sun”) and an Ashbury-esque epic (“Thunder Calling”) and you’ve got a damn near perfect throwback metal album.
No longer bound by the chains of COVID, Time Rift are in flight, spreading their rock n’ roll wings for all to bear witness. The songs hit hard as ever, every riff is air guitar-worthy, and the production is warm and crisp, just as an affair of this nature should be. Hopefully this time around (pun fully intended), more headbangers take note of this powerhouse power trio, and I mean extra emphasis on the word “power”! Where will you be when thunder calls?
8 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Lucifer, Pentagram, Christian Mistress
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