It’s been a long, hard road for Wishbone Ash. For the last 50 years, they’ve stuck it out; armed to the teeth with a twin axe attack which spearheaded classic albums like Pilgrimage (1971) and Argus (1972). This, coupled with fantasy themed lyrics, harmonizing vocals, and a yearning to be in the English countryside, far away from the riff raff of the big city, was the Wishbone Ash sound. But when you’ve been around as long as Wishbone Ash has, you’re not without your missteps. First, there was Locked In (1976): an effort that the band themselves has called weak. Then, there was the flirtation with commercial hard rock in the 80s. I know we’d all like to forget about those late 90s techno records, but those happened too.
Now, 50 years since their landmark debut, Wishbone Ash returns with their twenty third studio album, Coat of Arms. The only remaining member from those early days is guitarist and singer, Andy Powell. Powell has always had a distinct vision for Wishbone Ash. If their debut is where he saw them in 1970, Coat of Arms is where he sees them today. Long time fans expecting that early hard rock sound may be disappointed. Coat of Arms consists largely of songs molded to fit the modern rock and adult contemporary radio formats. Tracks such as “We Stand as One”, “Too Cool for AC”, “When the Love is Shared”, and “Personal Halloween”, lack the soul and bite that made Wishbone Ash so beloved. Instead, we get what sounds like Imagine Dragons with fancy guitar work.
Ideally, closing out a paragraph with a sentence that brutal should be the end of this review. It’s not. While half of Coat of Arms left me disappointed, the other half I enjoyed. The title track is my favorite. After a few verses, we’re greeted by our old friends, the twin lead guitars. Wishbone Ash are the godfathers of this playing style. They’ve influenced everyone from Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest to Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate. Joining Powell in his coveted right hand spot is Mark Abrahams. Despite only joining a few years ago, he compliments Powell perfectly. Out of nowhere, “Coat of Arms” meanders into a bluesy interlude before kicking back up into an old school shred fest.
Wishbone Ash has always had a progressive side to them. This is on full display on “It’s Only You I See”. The song begins with eerie guitars and ominous vocals before drifting to a soothing, dreamlike chorus. Soon enough, we’re treated by the same guitar heroics which dominated the title track. Only these solos are even more intense and last for a solid 5 minutes. It’s a throwback to the days of putting a vinyl on the turntable and letting an epic song drift you away. You know the type I’m talking about: the songs that take up nearly an entire album side.
Alongside Led Zeppelin, Wishbone Ash was one of the first hard rock bands to incorporate elements of folk music into their sound. Like the twin guitars, this was also highly influential. Coat of Arms continues this tradition on tracks like “”Floreana” and “Deja-Vu”. “Floreana” is a beautiful, calming ballad about a couple in love (although there could also be metaphors to Floreana Island). “Deja-Vu” takes us into the Middle Ages with an acoustic song that could’ve been performed by the minstrel of an English town square.
Coat of Arms is far from the worst Wishbone Ash album, but also far from the best. With moments of genius throughout, they prove that they haven’t “lost it” with age. There just could’ve been a better sense of direction and focus. On the autobiographical “Back in the Day”, Powell sings, “We still live it and we love it like back in the day.” I didn’t care for much of this album, but it is refreshing to see a band of Wishbone Ash’s age and stature still living and loving it. I just hope a future release sounds less like today and more like “Back in the Day”.
6 out of 10
Label: Steamhammer
Genre: Progressive Hard Rock
For fans of: Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, Blue Öyster Cult