Montreaux is a Wolverhampton, UK- based heavy rock band that was formed in 1981. Yes 1981, the year I was born. The band apparently broke up in 1984 and then reformed in 2019. That might be one of the craziest things I’ve read about a band. Either way the band is making up for lost time on The Ballad of Montreaux.
The band states: “A completely self made project with multiple influences throughout including Love, Bruce Springsteen, Beatles, Stones, Who, camel, Pink Floyd and Van Morrison together with our own original unexpected twist.” I definitely picked up on a lot of these influences. “Men of the Dead'' is up first and this song starts with a riff that sounds a bit like Van Halen. There are some unexpected changes however that utilizes synth-like orchestration. The song transitions back into an ’80s sounding verse with powerful vocals a little reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen at least in spirit. “I Don’t Know Where I’m Going” is a little brighter and joyous sounding. It sounds good on the band. The vocalist's natural voice meshed well with this style. There’s some dynamic orchestration which again felt like it was coming from a keyboard but worked out well. “Arrival/I Want More” is like a mix between an ambient Pink Floyd style atmosphere that transitions into a dynamic organ infused romp. I liked the vocals where it repeats ”I want more.”“Another Day” mixed rhythmic guitar patterns and orchestral melodies. The other parts of the song have more of an American classic rock quality. “Ballad of Montreaux” is definitely the centerpiece. It’s a little over eight-minutes long and has the most overt Pink Floyd type quality. The song embraces atmosphere, cosmic and serene soundscapes and lead guitar which drips with reverb and delay. It’s also the most thought provoking and cerebral song on the album. “Flashlights Revisited” has a lot going, perhaps a little too much. The song moves fast and rocks. They go back into Pink Floyd ballad mode with “Hero” and sound really good here. This was one of the best vocal performances. Last up is “Fighting” which has more of a rock edge to it. I’m always a fan of good comeback stories. I love the fact the band reformed after decades and nailed it. Fans of the aforementioned should appreciate this. Take a listen.
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