FREE RIDE

Although I wouldn't say that this is strictly a Progressive Rock album, I am happy that I've found a group that plays this heavy, honest, manly, trippy kind of riff-based hard rock. If labels are sometimes necessary, I'd say that Causa Sui is more of a Psychedelic Stoner Rock group. A similar contemporary group that pops in mind is Monster Magnet. But "Free Ride" is slightly different: there are moments that you'd swear this is a recording from a live performance at the Fillmore East back in 1971. And indeed, "Free Ride" sounds like a live album. So, if you love extended in-your-face jams that you've heard in albums like James Gang's "In Concert", Cream's "Live", Grand Funk's "Live Album", Mountain's "Live" or Humble Pie's "Performance", this might be a revelation to you! In "White Sun" there are passages that could be Tony Iommi's riffing, while the extended wah- wah guitar solo in "Newborn Road" towers to a phrase similar to Jimi Hendrix's "Machine Gun" pyrotechnics. On the other hand, the first track "Free Ride" takes you back in time with its acoustic guitars, background reverb effects, double voices, organ and tambourine, while "Flowers Of Eventide" is a short dreamy acoustic instrumental with a guitar sound similar to Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home" and the addition of some beautiful distorted distant flute lines. Everything is perfectly balanced and in step here: The singer's attitude, the instruments' sound, the mood, the whole production. This is a great album and I would recommend it to any hard, stoner, blues, psychedelic or heavy prog rock lover.