Admittedly, when I first read the name "Heavy Jack," I was mostly expecting a metal band, and the pirate bunny on the cover didn't do much to influence me otherwise. Metal is not my favorite genre by any means so, I really didn't know how I was going to feel about this band.
Fortunately for all parties involved, what I found were some very solid (non metal) sounds with deep roots in 60s guitar rock. Sure, countless musicians pay regular homage in the temple of the rock greats, but few have enough to skill to make it sound like anything more than cheap mimicry or the kind of crap that should never go past the walls of a 15-year-old's bedroom.
Heavy Jack has got some skill. Their debut album, Multiply is a mere but completely respectable thirty five minutes of serious guitar play and nearly raspy vocals. It starts off with the plenty powerful "Bushfire" and dives right into "Blood Red Sun," which definitely bears the imprint of the Rolling Stones.
Speaking of which, Heavy Jack covers "Jumpin' Jack Flash" on this album. Dangerous? Cocky? You just don't cover Stones' songs. Upon listening to it though, I actually like what they did with the guitar riff. That's probably the best part, sometimes the vocals feel like they're trying too hard but over all the result is a heck of a lot better than you'd expect.
There's a lot of consistency on this album in terms of quality, so I really can't say there are any duds. "Peace Soldier" doesn't have the strongest chorus, but it's forgivable.
I really enjoyed "What's in a Name," it's got a cool shift toward the end and the guitar is very intense. Likewise, "Bandits in the Night" is very moody and sounds like it would make a dramatic show opener. Plus, there's definitely some Dylan in there amongst other influences.
In sum, these three brothers have produced a terrific product and if it was my band, I'd be damn proud of this album.
The Musically Inclined wishes Heavy Jack the best of luck.
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