Greta Van Fleet: From The Fires Review
2017 has been an incredible year for Greta Van Fleet. The young four piece band out of Frankenmuth, Michigan consists of brothers Josh Kiszka (vocals), Jake Kiszka (guitar), Sam Kiszka (bass/keyboards), and Danny Wagner (drummer). Back in April the band exploded onto the scene with the four track EP, Black Smoke Rising, which has been a major success with the single “Highway Tune” reaching #1 on the rock radio charts. Now the band returns with From The Fires, a double EP, which features all four tracks from Black Smoke Rising, plus four additional songs.
The album opens with “Safari Song,” which was on Black Smoke Rising and features a killer guitar riff and soaring vocals from Josh Kiszka. Then we get a new track with “Edge of Darkness,” which has a dark sounding riff and definitely fits with the ’70s style rock the band displayed on Black Smoke Rising. Guitarist Jake Kiszka gets to spread his wings a bit with an extended guitar solo that concludes the track. Another track from the previous EP, “Flower Power” follows before we get “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which is a Sam Cooke cover and shows a bit of the band’s soul side. Next up is the popular “Highway Tune” followed by “Meet On The Ledge,” a Richard Thompson/Fairport Convention” cover. The Greta Van Fleet version really soars in the chorus complimented by the backing vocals.
The final new track on the EP is “Talk On The Street,” an upbeat rocker and GVF original that could potentially be a good candidate for a single. From The Fires concludes with “Black Smoke Rising.”
From The Fires is a great continuation of where the band left off with Black Smoke Rising. Fans who enjoyed the first EP will certainly enjoy the four new tracks and fans who are just discovering the band have eight great rock tracks to dive in to. For all the “rock is dead” people out there Greta Van Fleet is certainly proving that theory wrong and could potentially open the door to get more rock bands into the mainstream. Rock n’ roll doesn’t need saving, but it does need exposure and Greta Van Fleet is certainly bringing it to a new generation. Ride the wave because it doesn’t appear to be crashing down anytime soon. From The Fires is another step towards rock super stardom from the breakout band of 2017.
The Review: 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Safari Song
– Highway Tune
– Talk On The Street
– Black Smoke Rising
The Big Hit
– Highway Tune
Review by Pete Francis
We saw Greta Van Fleet at the Troubadour on Oct.30 and they killed it! One of the best new bands in the last decade!
I flew from Albuquerque, NM, to Tucson, AZ, to see Greta Van Fleet on Nov 1, and was blown away by this young band. they have the maturity and talent to tear up the rock scene for years to come. oh, and I already have my tickets to see them in Paris in March on my 71st birthday. totally awesome.