Veteran vocalist Toby Jepson has been impressing hard rock fans for decades fronting for acts such as Little Angels, Fastway, Dio's Disciples, and Gun, but he's got a new band in tow called Wayward Sons, and their debut album is out now on, of course, Frontiers Records. Jepson is joined in the band by guitarist Sam Wood, bassist Nic Wastell, drummer Phil Martini, and keyboard player Dave Kemp. Together, Wayward Sons have put together 11 catchy hard rock songs that have a modern edge yet still pay homage to some of the classics of the genre.
Images of Thin Lizzy ("Ghost") and AC/DC ("Don't Wanna Go") do pop up from time to time, but otherwise these guys have tried real hard to create their own sound, and it shows. Tracks such as "Alive", "Until the End", and "Killing Time" are instantly memorable with plenty of hooks and muscular hard rock guitar riffs, while the commercial appeal of "Crush" and "Give It Away" are undeniable. "Be Still" reminds of vintage Night Ranger with its tasty guitar work and vocal harmonies, while a track like "Small Talk" signals what Thin Lizzy might have sounded like had the band not imploded before the '80s hard rock scene really took off and Phil Lynott hadn't succumbed to his demons. "Something Wrong" is another winner, a blues rock gem complete with layers of hook laden vocals and Wood's univibe saturated guitar licks.
As for Jepson, he sounds great throughout Ghosts of Yet to Come, and it's about time he gets recognized as the truly excellent singer he is. Lots of fun, hard rock tunes abound on this very solid debut, once again Frontiers unleashing another powerful new act to the masses.
Track Listing
- Alive
- Until The End
- Ghost
- Don't Wanna Go
- Give It Away
- Killing Time
- Crush
- Be Still
- Small Talk
- Something Wrong
- Get Loose
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