Kruk have been one of the best classic hard rock bands from Poland over the last decade, and Before is their fourth and latest release for Metal Mind Productions. Now featuring new vocalist Roman Kantoch, Kruk are hoping to take their brand of heavy rock to new heights, and Before is indeed a strong set of material, as always influenced by the greats of the genre like Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, and Black Sabbath.
If you've followed this band at all over their first three releases, you are probably well aware that the meat of their sound comes from the staggering interplay between guitarist Piotr Brzychcy and keyboard player Michał Kuryś. The two are once again at the helm here, driving crunchy rockers like "Open Road", "My Sinners", "Once", and "Grey Leaf" as if they were the second coming of Lord/Blackmore or Hensley/Box, with swirling Hammond organ combating thick guitar riffs and blazing leads with plenty of fire and passion. Kantoch was a fine choice to fill the vocalist slot, as he commands a powerful presence on the heavy rockers, but also soars on the ballad "Farewell" or the more bluesy "Wings of Dreams". The rhythm team of bassist Krzysiek Nowak & drummer Darek Nawara also shine mightily, especially on the upbeat, groove-laden rocker "My Morning Star", a really memorable tune that has '80s heavy rock written all over it.
Two bonus tracks are also included, which are Polish language versions of two of the main tracks (something of a tradition for the band to do on their albums), as well as a bonus DVD of a live performance in Katowice from February 2014. Here you get the see the current line-up of the band in action, delivering a hot 6 song set that includes the scorching "Rising Anger", as well as "Kameleon", "It Will Not Come Back", and a few others. It's a shame that fans here in North America have been unable to experience this talented band in a live setting. Overall, this is another very strong release from Kruk, a classic sounding hard rock band that just keeps delivering the goods time and time again.
Track Listing
1. My Sinners
2. Last Second
3. Once
4. Wings Of Dreams
5. Grey Leaf
6. Morning Star
7. Farewell
8. Open Road
9. Timeline (instrumental)
10. Moja Dusza (bonus track)
11. Szary Liść (bonus track)
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