(September 2023) Episode 522 is GRETA VAN FLEET. This was a disappointment. I tuned in because they have been compared to Led Zeppelin, which was both very apt and promising based their initial, enjoyable EPs. But the three LPs that followed mostly bored or annoyed me. I’m not sure whether they were trying to move beyond the comparison* or embrace the epic aspects of LZ by ditching the gritty bluesy sound, but it didn’t work for me. It comes off as prog rock which, combined with the singer’s (unfortunate) choice to stay in the high register, makes them sound more like Triumph than Zep.
Favorite album: From the Fires (double EP)
Favorite song: Safari Song
Compared to expectations: ↓
Recommendation: I’d stick to the EPs, but you should try the LPs in case something grabs you that didn’t for me.
* a blatant case of homage can be found in the drum intro on “Sacred the Thread” from the third album, ripped directly from “When the Levee Breaks.”
Opus Project 