Blindstone share Scars To Remember

Scars To Remember is the tenth album from the Danish-based blues trio, Blindstone. The trio, who take the 60’s and 70’s as their touchstone and list bands such as Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath amongst others as influences, have always delivered to their considerable fan base. Now, with this new album, Martin Jepsen Andersen (guitars/vocals), Jesper Vegeberg Bunk (bass) and Sigurd Jøhnk-Jensen (drums), not only deliver, they gift wrap it all in blues-drenched rock of a quality that puts some successful bands to shame… after all they can’t be bad if Walter Trout took them as his backing band for his 2002 tour.

On this new album, as with the others, the remarkable guitar work of Andersen is the lynchpin that the superb bass and drum support and revolve around… this time however, the lyrics leave the usual blues-rock lyrics behind and draw on deeper, more serious subjects including the pandemic and the inexplicable conflict currently waging. This is in part due to the involvement of Swedish lyricist Peter Svensson.

Paradoxically, it is an instrumental called ‘Fields of Bethel’ which sums them up best for me… a brilliant intro with drums and bass locked together leads (pun intended) to a great riff and solos that speak as loudly as any lyrics. Andersen also tips a knowing hat to his guitar influences without copying and proves that lack of middling actually improves the lyricism.

Other highlights from ten very strong contenders is the Purplish-riff of bluesy rockers, ‘Embrace the Sky’ and ‘Down For The Count’; the (proper) Whitesnake-ey ‘Waste Your Time’ and the Trower-ish ‘Drifting Away.’

In short, there isn’t a duff song to be found and Blindstone’s take on blues, rock and blues-rock is always high quality and maintains a distinct originality despite my comparisons. This is an essential addition to any blues rock collector.

Scars To Remember is out on 11th August 2023.