By now Greta Van Fleet should be a household name to anyone that even remotely listens to rock and metal. If the band has somehow not made it on your radar let us catch you up. Greta Van Fleet– which took its name from one of the close-knit community’s town elders – is a hard rocking quartet whose creative ambitions and achievements reach far beyond the ages of the four band members, not all of them old enough to have voted in last November’s election. The band includes brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam Kiszka (bass, keyboards) and best friend drummer Danny Wagner (Who I also must add is an accomplished golfer) – are dedicated to bringing real rock’n’roll back to the mainstream. The band delivers high-energy, sweaty, rock’n’roll loaded with attitude and bravado that exemplifies each band member’s killer musical chops and Josh’s simply jaw-dropping voice. Greta Van Fleet bring back a throwback kind of sound that most old school metal heads thought was gone forever. The band has been kicking down doors of venues all over the country and gracing stages at dives and renowned venues. Their four-song debut EP ‘Black Smoke Rising’ was released on April 21, 2017 then followed by another EP ‘From The Fires’ on November, 17th 2017. The group deftly straddles the line between timeless and future, sounding at once like many things you’ve heard before and also something you’ve never heard before. Some have even referred to the band as America’s next greatest rock band. The band doesn’t have an intense history or discography to tell you about as of right now. Greta Van Fleet is currently making their own history and you can be a part of the crowd when they take the stage in your area, if its not sold out. ‘Anthem Of The Peaceful Army’ releases October 19th, make sure you pick up a copy.
The Michgan fellows have already released 4 tracks from the new album including “When The Curtain Falls”, “Anthem”, “Watching Over” and “Lover, Leaver”. Of course with the first single “When The Curtain Falls” the band released two different videos in two different formats. The first was a vertical video specifically for viewing on phones and then later released a standard version that had some differences as well. While those tracks are amazing and already shine a light on why this album is just another step in rock dominance for Greta Van Fleet we have decided to talk a little more about the songs on the record that haven’t been released. The album has a somber beginning with the track “Age Of Man”. Josh’s vocals soar and are nearly isolated before the other elements of the track kick in. When Jake’s guitar chimes in it has this thick blistering riff. As the song continues on the vocals seem to be on an even plane with the other instruments and not in the forefront of the song. However, the strength of his vocal tone still allows them to shine. In most bands the vocals are always the most talked about style or sound but within this band every member truly flourishes on their instrument and brings something to the table, there is no weakest link. Moving on to the track “You’re The One” we get some acoustic guitar and Sam on the keys. Here Josh’s vocals take on a much different tone than we are use to, and we also get a group vocal during the chorus as well. You could say this is a Greta Van Fleet ballad, but even their ballads are upbeat and not what one would normally classify as a ballad. Most of all this is a love song. With lyrics like “Babe, ain’t no denyin’, That I got you in my head, Girl, I’d be flyin’” and then you get those group vocals on the chorus which is “You’re the one I want, You’re the one I need, You’re the one I had, So come on back to me.” This isn’t the only song on the album that goes acoustic and I believe it shows the band can conquer musically both electrified and unplugged. “Brave New World” amps things back up but also has a darker sound than we may be use to from Greta Van Fleet. The track is in now way somber, slow or melancholy, but the way in which the vocals are delivered and the instrumental break downs fill you with this overwhelming dark ambiance. Sam’s bass playing is prevalent here and adds a tremendous amount of groove along side Danny’s thundering drum beats and cymbal crashes. I believe this is one of the strongest tracks on the album. It is powerful and dynamic in the way it’s written. While the band can turn any of their tracks into a single I believe “Brave New World” is the sleeper on this album, and it will quickly become a fan favorite due to its raw aesthetic and unbridled darkness.
‘Anthem Of The Peaceful Army’ proves that Greta Van Fleet isn’t afraid to take risks. A band that is well known for their electric sound adds a few acoustic tracks and turns down the volume just enough to make you appreciate their delicate sounds as much as their high energy composed songs. Tons of new bands have came along and people declare they are going to save rock n roll, and while I don’t believe rock n roll needs saving I believe Greta Van Fleet are keeping the blood flowing through the rock world. Their ability to experiment with their sound and simply be themselves shows they are comfortable wearing the crown as the new kings of rock.
