The Hard Way by Rebel Storm

In May of 2003, the band released their second CD "The Hard Way". Reviews have been extraordinary, calling it "...a Southern Rock masterpiece.", and cementing Rebel Storm's position as a band, whose time has come!

Here are a few quotes from reviews of "The Hard Way":

"...one of the best albums in the Southern Rock genre."

"...why don't my old heroes play like this anymore?"

"You can almost see the vapor trail these guitars paint into the sky."

"...a Southern Rock masterpiece." - Fred Schmidtlein www.home-of-rock.de

"...one of the hottest rocking Southern Rock bands in the U.S.A." -Michael Buffalo Smith, Editor GRITZ magazine

Here are some all-out reviews:

Quite frankly: I'm not looking forward to a lot of new Releases.

Specifically in Southern Rock I've too often been disappointed by to

many Bands which only delivered moderate performances at best. Not to

speak about Tours not matching my schedule.

That doesn't mean that I don't like that sort of music anymore. In

contrary, there's nothing more exciting than typical Southern Rock

clichés. Dual-Lead Guitars, Powerhouses, a shouter up front, Piano

and some of those Ballads creeping up to be some kind of Guitar-Duel

Monster. They come so sparely these days. If they come out I'm out to

get my copy right upon release.

One of the nicest side effects of an Online Mag like Home of Rock is

the fact that some "crazed" music freaks stick their heads together,

everybody filling in the others with their secret treasures,

discussions, and there's always a real pearl to discover. This is what

happened with REBEL STORM. The rest of the story is known.

After the fav review of their first CD "Stormin' South" interest arose

in this Band who subsequently came to Europe last fall for a

self-financed Tour. They left enthusiastic fans everywhere they

played. Their musical quality was as fascinating as the sympathetic

behavior these men from Washington State displayed.

Back home they entered the studio right away and here it is: Their new

CD dubbed "The Hard way" (which flatters the writer of these lines -

but that's another story)

To make it clear from the start: "Stormin' South" was a nice effort

which finds it's way into my CD-Player until this day. But what Rebel

Storm delivers with "The Hard Way" is a gitantic step forward. It's

been years when I last was so enthusiastic about a CD from the first

to the last note. In short, this is definitely one of the best albums

in the Southern Rock genre. In any way. The songs, the performance and

the sound are nothing less than perfect. Got it?

Fireworks at it's best in the first track No settled Man in which the

guitars and this more than relaxed singing blows you away. Hard as

SKYNYRD featuring Medlocke, fresh as a Tuna filet three minutes after

it's been pulled out of the water. Like a penalty in ice hockey with 5

offenders simultaneously storming the goaly/listener kicking the puck

right in.

My problem with this number: I had to repeat it for 30 minutes until I

went on with the other tracks. This is unfair, however, and gets me a

five minute penalty. Because True to be my Baby is insulted for this

unduly ignorance of mine. A fast Honky Tonk with wonderful Piano.

Jeezz, why don't my old heros play like this anymore? Nowadays they

sound in a song of this kind like "don't know what to do next so let's

have the piano player put in his bit"

It's funky time! They played Livin' On The Tracks on their tour (or am

I wrong?) and those guitars in the middle part should hold back any

wanna-be funk player of even trying. Don't try this at home! And it's

only the prelude to probably the most exciting track of this CD.

Midnight Traveler is an epos somewhere between POINT BLANK and MOLLY

HATCHET. You can almost see the vapor trail these guitars paint into

the sky. If you're a sensitive listener it makes your hair stand up.

Rebel Storm has two outstanding singers in Don Swenson and Billy Moss.

When they join forces to sing a song together it ends up to be A

little Lovin'. If you really want a comparison: The OUTLAWS were able

to deliver songs of this caliber only in their best moments. Again the

guitars and Joe Turnbull's Piano.

It's just like a dream..which is instantly over when the slideguitar

in Firefly Lightning kicks in. Again somewhat funky, real powerful

with lots of pressure so Mr. Charlie Daniels should claim his

retirement and spare us of his stupid statements.

We're only halfway through yet! And have already heard more classics

than in some yearbook of CD releases. But Rebel Storm can even top

that! Now we hear the longest track of this album which is around 7

minutes and climaxes into a monster of a jam. Just don't know which

True Tales of the Black Forest Billy Moss is trying to tell us in this

instrumental, but if I understand this guitar battle correctly they

must have had a ball in the Black Forest. I always get this grin on my

face when I try to compare this to the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND of

nowadays. I appeal to everyone who thinks that Derek Trucks is a great

guitar player to listen to this Rebel Storm production!

After the refreshing Gals from Mississippi another Southern-Honky-Tonk

is on it's way. (I can think of GRINDERSWITCH as some far reference).

Guitars trying to gain control of the Hammond sound. When necessary

they raise their voice in duets. I don't know how often I have already

played this CD, but I do know that I always end up with sweat on my

forehead.

Even a easy rocker in the likes of Stateline can't help that.

On Molly Hatchet's first LP sparks flew comparingly refreshing. Beyond

today's Hard Rock brutality, just guitars left, guitars right, a

groove dragging you along, a pushing Bass/Drum section and the package

is ready to be delivered.

You just can't mellow down with this CD. Some Rhythm always forces you

to groove, shake your legs and bang your head. The sound of this CD

has a major influence on this. I would wanna call it classic, it

reminds me of long gone Vinyl times. It's deep, spacy and transparent

sonic quality is the opposite of those run-of-the-mill, flat-sounding

digital productions of today. Don and Billy told me a few weeks ago

during a Home of Rock Chat that the album was mastered by Randall

Merryman who worked with people like the MARSHALL TUCKER BAND as well

as Albert and Freddie King. Such a mastermind knows all too well that

music must sound organic.

The last track of this album is another long number. Standin' in the

Rain of course isn't any Free Bird sound-alike. It's just a wonderful

song.

Oh yes, "The Hard Way" really is a Southern Rock masterpiece. No more

and no less. And honestly I am very proud the be able to write this

(first) review of it. Thank you boys, see ya on your tour during the

fall!

Fred Schmidtlein

www.home-of-rock.de

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(Translation:) STARTRIPS (Brazil) The Rebel Storm is currently one of the bands more respected of the scene of the Southern world-wide Rock. After the launching of "Stormin ' South" (2001) the group has received excellent critical and culminated with one tour of success in the Europe in 2002.

Compared with its previous work, this "The Hard Way" obtains to surpass its predecessor. The band super is entrosada and had obtained to make a super compact disc pleasant, and balanced. I more perceived a work accented of the keyboards in this album, giving a bigger sonorous mass. Billy Moss has a voice that it marries the style perfectly, it also composes again practically almost all the compact disc Detaches also the precision of low of Don Swensen and the battery of Bobby Nesbitt, that make a powerful kitchen for ground of Billy and Troy Moss.

The compact disc has excellent moments, the opening with "In the Settled Man" is pure rock'n sulista roll with excellent ground of guitar and piano. "True you the My Baby" is one of my preferred ones, with a strong marking of low e battery, Moss parades sarcasm with an excellent refrão.

The influence blues appears accented in "Livin ' on the Tracks", with good riff of guitar. "Midnight Traveler" is an authentic Southern Rock, where the piano of Joe Turnbull appears again with prominence, good Rock'n Roll. "the Little Lovin '" starts with those traditional duetos of guitar á la Allmann Brothers Band, that is one of the characteristics most legal of the style, and the Rebel Storm knows to use to advantage the intermeshing of the guitarists well. This appears in "True Tales of the Black Forest", one instrument of seven minutes where the double a Moss & Moss sufficiently shows familiarity with the style beyond good technique.

I liked "Stateline sufficiently", remembering a little of the footprint it to me ZZ Top and of "Standin ' in the Rain" the ballad-southern it compact disc, that has one of the refrões prettiest of the compact disc.

For who it tans the style, it is an essential record, therefore the Rebel Storm keeps the old essence of the Lynyrd Skynyrd and ABB, but with a revigorated vision, making a Southern authentic Rock and of much quality. For bigger information, it visits the site official and it knows more a little of this band, who has only received all criticizes good of specialist of Southern Rock of the world.

Road To Jacksonville

Rebel STorm, coming out from the Seattle's area, is back on the track this year with their new and second album. As there was on their first album, you'll get some great blues-rock songs and when you hear the guitar soloing, you know where their influence is coming from, directly from the deep south. But, you'll also get pure southern rock titles, with different influences such as Molly Hatchet ("No settled man", "Midnight traveler"), to the Allman Brothers ("A little lovin'", "True tales of the black forest", "Treat me right"), and even the Outlaws ("Stateline"). A really nice album which should convince many many fans, while waiting for them to come and play in Europe, which is scheduled for next autumn (we also heard, they were about to play one gig in France).

Rikk's Reviews

Some of us take the easier softer way, and some of us take the Hard Way. The latter is the name of the new album fro Rebel Storm (April 2003).

So, when you think of Southern rock, what band do you think of, Molly Hatchet, Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, who? Well from this release forward we should be adding Rebel Storm (Recipients of the "Gritz" magazine Southern music hall of fame "horizon" award 2002)to the list. For those of us who attribute pounding drums, double lead guitars, a bass line that keeps everything tight, blazing vocals, and rockin' keyboard/ piano with southern rock & roll, This is no disappointment at all. "The Hard Way" has it all, including the soulful piano and organ.

Rebel Storm consists of Billy Moss on vocals and guitar, Don Swensen on vocals and bass, Bobby Nesbit beating the skins, Joe Turnbull on keyboards and vocals and Troy Moss on guitar. They came together as a band in 1999, and released "Stormin' South" in 1991.

The guys have come a long way from "Stormin' South" here on "The Hard Way". They are as tight as any southern band going today. The vocals are fresh and definitely "southern". The total package comes out and bites you in the... well... behind here.

The main difference between Rebel Storm and other Southern bands, these guys are kickin' it from home base in Washington state. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing here either. 12 very solid original tunes on a tightly packaged CD I expect will be on all southern rock fans stereos before the year is over.

I highly recommend "The Hard Way" for all southern rock fans, and if you liked the southern rock of the 70s, this disc will not let you down either. It holds up well with the best of them. From the styles of Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the list goes on. I will even go so far as to recommend "Stormin' South", Rebel Storm's debut independent release. But, hands down "The Hard Way" should be on the to get list of all fans of the southern rock experience. I have listened to it many times over, and can't pick up on any really bad points. That makes my job as a "critic" a lot easier, but less fun. The only problem is it does have some of the sound restrictions of an independent release, because that's what it IS. A couple of stand out tracks are hard to pick, but I will say I really enjoyed "Livin' On The Tracks", "Firefly Lightnin'" and the Skynyrd style of "Stateline", heck I enjoyed it all, these guys even look the part.

(5 solid stars)

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Rebel Storm - The Hard Way

Some of us take the easier softer way, and some of us take the Hard Way. The latter is the name of the new album from Rebel Storm (April 2003).

So, when you think of Southern rock, what band do you think of, Molly Hatchet, Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, who? Well from this release forward we should be adding Rebel Storm (Recipients of the "Gritz" magazine Southern music hall of fame "horizon" award 2002) to the list. For those of us who attribute pounding drums, double lead guitars, a bass line that keeps everything tight, blazing vocals, and rockin' keyboard/piano with southern rock & roll, this is no disappointment at all. "The Hard Way" has it all, including the soulful piano and organ.

Rebel Storm consists of Billy Moss on vocals and guitar, Don Swensen on vocals and bass, Bobby Nesbitt bating the skins, Joe Turnbull on keyboards and vocals and Troy Moss on guitar. They came together as a band in 1999, and released "Stormin' South" in 2001.

The guys have come a long way from "Stormin' South" here on "The Hard Way". They are as tight as any southern band going today. The vocals are fresh and definitely "southern". The total package comes out and bites you in the... well... behind here.

The main difference between Rebel Storm and other Southern bands, these guys are kickin' it from home base in Washington State. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing here either. 12 very solid original tunes on a tightly packaged CD I expect will be on all southern rock fans stereos before the year is over.

I highly recommend "The Hard Way" for all southern rock fans, and if you liked the southern rock of the 70s, this disc will not let you down either. It holds up well with the best of them. From the styles of Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the list goes on. I will even go so far as to recommend "Stormin' South", Rebel Storm's debut independent release. But, hands down "The Hard Way" should be on the to get list of all fans of the southern rock experience. I have listened to it many times over, and can't pick up on any really bad points. That makes my job as a "critic" a lot easier, but less fun. The only problem is it does have some of the sound restrictions of an independent release, because that's what it is. A couple of stand out tracks are hard to pick, but I will say I really enjoyed "Livin' On The Tracks", "Firefly Lightnin'" and the Skynyrd style of "Stateline", heck I enjoyed it all, these guys even look the part.

*****(5 solid stars)

2002-2003 Rebel Storm

www.rebelstorm.com

Rikk Matheson

Sole reviewer and Webmaster http://rikksrevues.4t.com

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