Florida has a reputation for producing some great music. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Less Than Jake, Molly Hatchet, and many others top that list. A new band from the Sunshine State will be pushing their way towards the top of that list. The Apocalypse Blues Revival is the alliance of Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Brian Carpenter, and vocalist Shane Hall. Shannon and Tony had collaborated with Brian for ten years playing biker bars and honky-tonks across the country. In 2019, they added blues and soul singer Shane Hall which solidified their sound.
Their sound is not one that a listener can not put into any particular genre basket. Their new self-titled album is one that begs the listener to “take a trip through this dark abyss and come out of it 45 minutes later with a new perspective”. They have a sound that is very unique. It reminds one of the collaborations of Les Claypool and Julian Lennon but with a more bluesy twist. As Larkin states, he wanted to ” mix the influences from my two favorite classic rock artists—David Bowie and Pink Floyd—with my favorite blues artists: Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and B.B. King.” The sound is refreshing in this day of all the clone bands played on FM radio.
The album is a loosely autobiographical conceptual narrative. It follows a nameless protagonist as he walks on the more sinister side of life, realizes it, and changes his ways only to reincarnate on the road to ascension. This was penned while Larkin was going through some down periods in his life. That contributed heavily to the release’s somber tone. Hall’s vocal stylings show why he was a perfect candidate to round out this group. His melodious tones have an almost hypnotic effect. Rombola’s guitar work shows how flexible a musician he is. He flows from blues to psychedelia to jazz without breaking a sweat. Larkin and Carpenter hold down the rhythm section and keep the songs moving along dynamically. The videos for each song have a feel of Terry Gilliam, Monty Python’s animator giving them a trippy look.
The album opens with a cut titled Waltz of the Antichrist Impure. It starts off with a gothic opening which sounds like it would be at home in a soundtrack to a Vincent Price movie. The rolling drums, wailing guitar lead into a 70’s psychedelic sound. It’s an introspective look at living the dark side and falling into the abyss. The Doorway is a track that is heavily steeped in a slow metallic blues guitar sound. It’s a look into life, how to live it, and what awaits. Optimystic is a very jazzy song complete with a superb addition of saxophone to the basic lineup. This song really highlights the versatility of all the musicians in ARB. It’s a rather uplifting song that teaches change to the good path in life is the way to go.
We at Music Madness highly recommend this release. This is for you if you are looking for something with an eclectic sound that is thought-provoking! You can pick it up on the website, here.