Heavy Manic Souls Review
France isn’t normally synonymous with having great rock and roll or blues bands, however Heavy Manic Souls have produced a solid debut album. The four members Chris Francheteau (guitar), Eric Robin (bass), Eric Dufour (vocals) and Rod Chaillou (drums) have melded all their respective musical influences from rock to jazz and hints of heavy metal to create a varied and original eleven track record.
From the start of the album the influences are noticeable with the Hendrix style guitar solos and rhythmic chops in “Change Your Reality” and “Heads or Tails,” both energetic rock and roll songs. “The Lone Star State” and “Escape From Earth” follow the same tone but with a slower, cruisin’ blues guitar rhythm that you could happily listen to whilst driving. “Juggernaut” and “Heavy Foot Coolhand” have the albums heavier riffs and guitar work sounding sometimes like Tom Morello. “Rollerball” and “Cigarettes” come in the middle of the album with a different style, a grungy feel to them as the guitar waltzes to a darker tone, making the two tracks stand out on the album. There is one instrumental track on the album “Down In The Rain” a mellow, tuneful blues solo that comfortably breezes along, fitting effectively with the atmospheric sound of rain and thunder at the beginning of the track. The penultimate track “Badass Mother******” which I took to be a kind of joke metal song by the group, is still a good listen as it’s dominated by shaking, heavy riffs.
If there is one quarrel I have is with the singer it’s that it is sometimes hard to understand the lyrics with his occasionally strained sounding vocals. But it’s excusable and not a big problem as it never lets down the music or the forceful high octane riff style that’s prevalent throughout. It’s quite an imposing debut from a band I look forward to hearing more from.
The Review: 7.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Cigarettes
– Juggernaut
– Down In The Rain
– The Lone Star State
– Uncle Pirate Blues
The Big Hit
– Uncle Pirate Blues
Review by Josh May
