Review: BLACKBYRD “Fall From Grace Ep” (2012)

Reviewed by David Pearce

Artist – Blackbyrd
Album – Fall From Grace Ep
Label – Self Produced
Year – 2012

1. Fall From Grace
2. Day Of Reckoning
3. Academy Of The Broken Hearted

Hailing from the same town in South Wales, Dewi, Leigh, Phil and Kerry have spent the best part of 10 years collectively touring the UK up and down, in many bands and formations. Support slots on tours, festivals, EP releases, press, contracts, agents, promoters, everything has been thrown at them in some form and they have always lived it up to their maximum potential and taken it in their stride. In November 2011, Nev Macdonald started working with the band as a producer, lending his knowledge and experience. After an in-depth discussion, the band decided that “Echoes of the Dead” did not sit right along side the music, which was being played, so the name “Blackbyrd” was introduced. Blackbyrd played their first gig under this name December 2011, to a sold out Factory, in Porth.

January 2012, the band headed into Nott in Pill once again, with Nev Macdonald working with the band, and producers of the studio Martin “Ginge” Ford of Skindred and Dubwar, and Matt Bond from the Dirty Youth. Early February 2012, Blackbyrd were picked out of over a 1000 bands, along side 11 others, to represent the UK for the Hard Rock Cafe, in the Hard Rock Rising 2012 shows. Throughout 2012, Blackbyrd plan to tour the UK as much as possible, and reach as many people as they can with their music.

The Ep starts off with Fall From Grace with a classic style riff then the tempo slows down with the clean vocals it has a real good feel to this song and it will get you singing the catchy chorus. The song has some classic style riffs good clean vocals all in all a really good start to the Ep.

Day Of Reckoning has a real southern boogie style to it again it has me tapping my foot to the rhythm of the drums and nodding my head to the vocals and the classic style guitar riffs and some quality solo’s.

Academy Of The Broken Hearted starts with a classic riff then switches to the vocals with a solid bass line behind them then the guitars come in with a good little riff. In this song you have a really strong bass line going throughout the song which gives the song a really solid base together with vocals makes it a cracking little song. The guitar quality on this song and every song on the Ep is faultless.

Overall

This Ep has some real quality from the vocals right through the band it has some classic riffs, solid bass lines and some really good drum beats. By the end of the Ep I was wanting more it has it all and it has some really catchy lyrics by the end of the Ep I had my foot tapping, my head nodding and I was singing along to the every song.

8/10

Influences
Alterbridge, Black Stone Cherry, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Black Crowes

Members
Phil Lye-Vocals, Guitar
Dewi Jones-Guitar
Kerry Knight-Bass
Leigh Jones-Drums