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Siena Root: A Dream of Lasting Peace

Take equal parts Santana, Deep Purple, The Allman Brothers Band, Uriah Heep, Grateful Dead, Humble Pie, Mountain, Govt. Mule, and Free, throw it all in a blender, and out comes Swedish retro hard rock & jam sensations Siena Root. Newly signed to MIG (Made in Germany Music), the band are set to unleash their latest platter of '70s love, titled A Dream of Lasting Peace, featuring 10 tracks clocking in at 45 minutes of tasty and quite addicting music. Perhaps a little less heavy than previous efforts, the band still serve up an assortment of hard rock riffs and blazing Hammond organ, but there's an airy, atmospheric and jazzy edge to many of these tracks, complemented of course by plenty of instrumental explorations but still with clear edge to good songcraft.

Opener "Secrets" once again delivers all that is great about this band, featuring those wonderful vocals, swirling organ, and an assortment of tasty guitar riffs and solos. "Tales of Independence" melds bluesy hard rock with funk, and vintage Uriah Heep pops up on the mysterious "Sundown", a song with great vocals and alluring Hammond organ. The band go for a much bluesier edge on the laid back "The Piper Wont Let You Stay", with vocalist Samuel Björö putting in a fine, passionate performance before the band launch into a killer Allman Brothers inspired jam with smokey organ and tasty lead guitar. Erik "Errka" Petersson's commanding Hammond leads the charge on the hard rocking "Outlander" alongside some fabulous riffing and solos courtesy of Matte Gustavsson, while the funky heavy rock of "Growing Underground" will take you right back to Burn/Stormbringer era Deep Purple. "Empty Streets" also channels MkIII era Purple, Björö soaring to the heavens over hazy organ and biting, bluesy guitar, the two instruments eventually doing battle in grand Jon Lord & Ritchie Blackmore tradition. Another wild tune here is the sizzling jazz & blues excursion "Imaginarium", Sam Riffer's walking bass line allowing a launch pad for plenty of majestic guitar & organ solos, again reminding of early Allman Brothers, while the dark & heavy closer "The Echoes Unfold" hints at vintage Uriah Heep with its powerful vocals, creepy keys, and bone crunching riffs.

A Dream of Lasting Peace is a fantastic collection of songs that will thrill any fan of late '60s/early '70s hard rock, prog, blues rock, and psychedelia, with a little dose of jam thrown in for good measure. Killer organ & guitar work throughout, strong vocals, memorable songs, plenty of groove...it doesn't get much better than this folks. Once again, Sweden comes up with a winner, and I think it's about time that Siena Root get the worldwide acclaim they deserve. Mandatory listening right here!

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!


Track Listing

  1. Secrets
  2. Tales Of Independence
  3. Sundown
  4. The Piper Won't Let You Stay
  5. Outlander
  6. Growing Underground
  7. Empty Streets
  8. No Filters
  9. Imaginarium
  10. The Echoes Unfold

Added: October 4th 2017
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 3414
Language: english

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Siena Root: A Dream of Lasting Peace
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2017-10-04 17:11:24
My Score:

Another fantastic CD has made its way into my CD player this summer in the form of Swedish hard rock/psychedelic band Siena Root and their new album titled A Dream Of Lasting Peace. It is their sixth studio release and the first I have heard of the band.

For those of you who dig retro hard rock and psychedelic sounds, well you have come to the right place. The band's unabashed take on '70s rock is of course derivative but I say bring it on as this is one of the freshest and most exciting discs I have heard all year. You may have noticed that all band members sing and that is a huge plus to their sound. When the backing vocals are present they are outstanding. Same can be said of Björös' lead vocals, they are equally as good. He has a soulful and earthy delivery and does a great job on every track. The organ and guitar are in equal doses as both are an integral component to the band's take on '70s hard rock. Songs like the album opening "Secrets" with its addictive Hammond and guitar riffs and the equally impressive "Tales Of Independence" where the lead and backing vocals are simply sublime and the ripping guitar solo will etch into your brain are great tracks. The laid back "Sundown" showcases more excellent organ work and a stellar keyboard solo as well as a bit more psych infused guitar. On "The Piper Won't Let You Stay" the sound is softer and bluesier with its sinuous groove and impressive guitar and organ solos. The organ driven "Outlander" again recalls vintage Deep Purple as does the heavy "Growing Underground" where the organ and drum rolls intertwine before a galloping groove settles in. The guitar and organ trade some great licks in this one.

Sure the band harvests sounds from the '70s and wear their influences on their sleeves but when it is done this well all is forgiven. If the new album is any indication the rest of the band's discography will be mandatory listening.

Personal:

Erik Errka" Petersson (organs, keyboards, vocals)
Matte Gustafsson (guitar and vocals)
Sam Riffer (bass guitar, percussion, vocals)
Samuel Björö (lead vocals)
Love Forsberg (percussion and vocals)



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