Inglorious: Ride To Nowhere, The Great Album Most Americans Won't Hear

Despair, doom and sonic compression and thump. That is the current recipe for success on rock stations here in the good old dysfunctional USA. The music industry made a conscious decision 25 years ago to move away from melodic and blues based rock. The glory days of Grunge eventually waned and gave way to a hybrid sound that incorporates elements of pop. But the dark subject matter and "modern" production has been a mainstay. Bands from various parts of the world that are attempting to reignite the rock and roll flame are mostly screened out from radio playlists. Michigan Zeppelin band Greta Van Fleet have made some inroads but are now on the receiving end of a coordinated onslaught of negativity.

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, another bluesy hard rock band has released a gem called "Ride To Nowhere". The band is Inglorious. Their singer is a fellow by the name of Nathan James who has sung with the Trans Siberian Orchestra and has a voice that is part Axl Rose and part David Coverdale. The sound of this group has elements of Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Guns and Roses and overall is rooted in a hard driving blues-rock tradition. There is no bass thump. No cringe inducing compression. Just good old fashioned rock and roll played thoughtfully and sung by one of the great emerging vocalists of this era.

With this pedigree, they should be radio bound here in the States. However, their first single dropped months ago without any terrestrial airplay. In fact, very little has been said even in mainstream rock publications. Frontiers, the label which distributes this band has done a ferocious job making their constituents aware of this album.

Likely the best ambassador to the listening public are the 11 songs on this collection. They have the ability to cut through the world of auto-tune and fakery. "Where Are You Now" was released as a single early on and opens the album by showcasing the vocals of Nathan James. The music rises and falls with a roller coaster like flair. The guitars, bass and drums are in your face. The melody will stick with you and was a worthy choice to be unveiled first. "Freak Show" is a bluesy, ballsy rocker about trust issues. At certain times on this album it feels like a freight train is coming.

"Never Alone" opens with a crisp acoustic guitar followed by some nice mid tempo electric guitar riffing. James' lyrics have a spiritual component to them which is nice departure from the usual doom rock fare. "Tomorrow" has some heavy Whitesnake-Zeppelin overtones, but this is British hard rock, so no surprise really. The hook is firm enough to give the song it's own distinctions. "Queen" jangles another Zeppish riff as James opines about his favorite gal. The freight train picks up steam on "Liar", a healthy blues rock banger. "Time To Go" is one of the best songs on this collection. It opens with a gun-shot guitar and some fat chords as Nathan James oh-oh's his way into the vocal stratosphere.

 "I Don't Want To Know" could be categorized as a bluesy power ballad. It's a sad tale of lost love or not actually knowing the person you've been with. "While She Sleeps" slowly ignites into another freight train rocker. "Ride To Nowhere" opens with a very catchy soft guitar pattern which then builds into a juggernaut that bobs and weaves between blues and alternative rock. "Glory Days" is a surprising acoustic track that gets very personal with the subject matter.

Regret. Doubt. Remorse. All themes of this mighty project. The singer is intense. He has a gift. The vocal talent, the arrangements, and the songwriting all make for a blissful rock and roll ride to somewhere. This is definitely a shot in the arm for rock enthusiasts and a must have for those of us looking to pad our collection of classic rock sounding artifacts.