Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
For better or worse, this world is ours, and whilst the feeling of continued dystopian outlook may place our hands over our eyes as we dare not acknowledge the dreadful acts and insanity defying beliefs of many, it is a planet of great wonder, of untold beauty waiting to be discovered, and one to which we should embrace and retain despite the madness that surrounds us.
This World Is Ours, a shout across the generations who wish to care, who have the momentum and drive to bring a light into the arena and dispel the gloom, to fight against those who see this blue orb and all its incredible potential as a drawing board for disaster, and whilst the Romeos and Casanovas pay lip service to the cause, it is the likes of Juliet’s Not Dead, arguably the brand new colossus on the British hard rock scene, that carries the exclamation and full bellied bellow of defiance, of knowing that they have struck a seam of gold as they meet the challenge declared and burst beyond the echo chamber of past indifference presented by many.
The foursome, Stevie Stoker, Dan King, Niall Whittaker, and Jack Corbett, who all share credit for the wide berth of vocals that flex their muscles and swell to the final climax, to the point of surged crescendo where tracks such as the thumping opener of Sinner or Saint pulls back the curtain and reveals the thrill, the electricity that rouses the giant genre into pounding the guitar and the drums in unison, the conflagration of fire in the belly of the beast.
As Open Fire, Notorious, Double Life, the outstanding King And Queen, and the fantastic groove of Capsize rebound and ricochet off the walls of possession and embed themselves in the realm of ownership, the rights of the hard rock genre prove to be more than alive, it is a heralding of a new age seamlessly attached to the way that the music demands; a deft freshness created by a generation in love with their passionate predecessors.
An album so well crafted it pays homage to its own title with honour, Juliet’s Not Dead proves the genre is alive and kicking.
Juliet’s Not Dead’s This World Is Ours on February 7th.
Ian D. Hall