When I receive a review copy of an album it’s always interesting to see how the band is described in the promotional material. I was somewhat intrigued to find out that Welsh based trio Screaming Eagle described themselves as “doom jazz” of all things! Popping the album into the CD player the opening track “In The Dark” came across with more of a 70s stoner rock vibe driven by a powerful bass line and with an unusual melodic style of vocal. I’ve listened to this album a few times now and it took me a while to think who the vocals reminded me of. Finally it clicked that it was Rod Evans, Ian Gillan's predecessor in Deep Purple.  

Having initially caught my interest with their own individual sound, the first half of the album suffers from the tracks sounding too similar in style and it’s not until the instrumental “NBR” split into two parts where they start to vary the tempo and style a little, even becoming a little proggy in places. “As Old As The Hills” is an attempt to be epic which starts well but loses its’ way as it goes with the vocals kind of shifting in and out of ranges that singer and bassist Nikolai Ribnikov is comfortable with. The album ends in style though with “Sphere Of Influence”, a much better attempt at sounding epic starting with a nice riff and a galloping rhythm, moving through a mellow section and then building up again and eventually segueing into “Pandemonium” ending with repeated riffing and then mellowing out and away. 

This is an interesting and ambitious debut from a young band and definitely worth a listen if you like 70s style power trios. As this bunch are from Wales I have to bring up the subject of Budgie and despite the fact that the guys are too probably too young to have heard of them they do have a lot in common with them both in sound and style. So while there were a few touches here and there of both doom and jazz this is really a bluesy stoner rock album with a few twists but shows a lot of promise and is well worth checking out.

Let us know your views on Wake Up The Dawn

Track Listing

In The Dark
A Kick In The Face
First In, Last Out
Sapient
NBR I
NBR II
Raising Diabolus
As Old As The Hills
Sphere Of Influence
Pandaemonium

Line Up

Nikolai Ribnikov - Bass/Vocals
Thomas Jones - Guitars
Jason YOung - Drums