Förtress

Ambrosia

Written by: PP on 02/04/2016 03:03:41

Those paying attention in Denmark will surely have noticed the meteoric rise of Förtress into one of the most important rock'n'roll names within the underground scene in the country. Instead of merely delivering poor man's version's of past greats, which is the pitfall of many of their peers, they have embraced the classic rock / retro rock revival scene with a fresh attitude of innovation seldom seen in the country. Tongue in cheek vocals, laid back atmospheres, and awesome riffs have been the formula on both "Of Bones" EP and "Legends" EP three years ago, ideas that continue to impress on debut album "Ambrosia" today, three years later. If anything, Förtress have refined their retro rock style to redact any similarities to bigger bands, instead focusing on forging their own identity that leans on the strengths of "Legends" EP.

Wailed vocals with inspiration from Led Zeppelin, groove-laden riffage with a focus on memorable riffs, and a 70s revivalist atmosphere as the driving forces behind their expression. Not necessarily the most original formula on paper yet the occult retro riffs fired by their guitarist combined with the Wolfmother style classic rock vocals together create a soundscape that both pays tribute to the past greats but also updates the sound to stay relevant in 2016. We're deep in classic rock star world with "Spirits", yet "Bitch Demon" offers a polar opposite approach with its upbeat and ultimately catchy retrospective style . It's groovy and catchy, but is it memorable? That's one area where Förtress arguably can appear inconsistent throughout "Ambrosia". For while the aforementioned "Bitch Demon" is an instant hit for this scene, the question remains whether "Caught In The Light" will stick to your mind in the same manner despite consisting of decent riffage and vocals.

The key thing that's changed since the EPs is that Förtress are now a serious band. That much you can hear both from the riff composition but also from the way the vocals are conducted. Serious rock revivalist band with an ambition to conquer the international markets. The crisp production values and solid riffs suggest exactly that. However, after the numerous "Damn that riff" moments of a few EP tracks, it's difficult to argue that "Ambrosia" impresses in the same way, at least throughout the whole record. There are good songs -- enough so to elevate Förtress beyond their peers in Denmark -- but on "Ambrosia" we're left wondering where the international class release suggested by "Legends" EP is, especially in light of the fantastic back-to-form album by Wolfmother this year. Still, Förtress deliver some of the better classic rock material Denmark has to offer, so it's worth checking out for sure.

7

Download: Bitch Demon, Spirits, Rhythm Of The Redman
For the fans of: Redwolves, South, Awesome Mr. Powerwolf, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin
Listen: Facebook

Release date 05.02.2016
Triassic Recordings

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