It's funny how there's a certain protectiveness in the search for the 'next big band'."
By Ricardo Batalha (*)
Perhaps you know me, my name is Ricardo Batalha. I'm 45 years old and I'm not a "good guy" because I'm not your typical Brazilian samba lover. I also don't root for the people's team in São Paulo; I consider Nelson Piquet a better driver than Ayrton Senna and I always thought Muhammad Ali was a better boxer than Mike Tyson. No, I'm not part of the 'Up The Irons' crowd, because for me the synonyms for Heavy Metal are Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. I don't get into Metallica versus Megadeth discussions because I gave up on Mustaine a long time ago. Oh, while everyone was talking about Halestorm, I was listening to Vanity Blvd. from Sweden. A bit of a contrarian? A desire to be "contrarian"? I don't know, but that's my taste. Of the five thousand people on my Facebook, few have tastes very similar to mine. Be that as it may, here I am.
When I was told that the American group Rival Sons, the new "salvation of Rock," would be one of the attractions at this year's "Monsters Of Rock," I found it very interesting. I just couldn't help but remember what they said years ago. In the 1990s, The Black Crowes had already made their trip back in time and proven that success can be achieved by looking to the past – with reservations, of course. Revisit the 60s and 70s and you'll have a chance, because the new trend we see today, with countless Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Free, The Faces and the like, is going strong.
Since 2009, with the release of "Before the Fire," Rival Sons has been showcasing its talents with a decent and solid sound. But I confess I was intrigued by this whole "saving rock" thing and it reminded me of Kingdom Come, who "dared" to go back in time a bit to openly display their biggest influence: Led Zeppelin. It didn't work. The second band of German vocalist Lenny Wolf (ex-Stone Fury) and drummer James Kottak (current Scorpions) had their fifteen minutes of fame, but were (and always will be) ostracized, ridiculed, and mocked.
Rival Sons can dress in fine clothes and record videos with a vintage feel. In the mid-80s, Kingdom Come couldn't because they were a bunch of posers
Now, let me get this straight: Rival Sons can dress in fine clothes and suits, record videos with vintage instruments and design, and they're considered "heroes"—today, every group that revisits the past has this "playbook" memorized. In the mid-80s, Kingdom Come couldn't because they were a bunch of posers with poodle haircuts and a Robert Plant wannabe vocalist, a pure "bad copy." Okay, fine, I get it, but it's funny how there's a certain protectiveness in the search for the "next big band" (right, Wolfmother?).
Of course, nobody would be crazy enough to say that Rival Sons (or The Black Crowes or Wolfmother) doesn't deserve to be where they are with the four albums they've released. The thing is, even if subtly and with a bit of "momentum," there's a kind of manipulation even for bands that don't need it to succeed. Therefore, I'm going against the grain here, because what makes me excited is different from what's called common sense. I'm not better than anyone because of that. But I'm not worse either. Yes, my friend, I tend to defend the indefensible, but I haven't been, let's say, "institutionalized." And I don't think I'm wrong. And you, do you think it's possible to enjoy Rival Sons and Kingdom Come with the same enthusiasm?
Recommended views:
Rival Sons – Pressure And Time
Kingdom Come – What Love Can Be
Stone Fury – Break Down The Wall
(*) Ricardo Batalha is the editor-in-chief of Roadie Crew and director of ASE Assessoria e Consultoria..
