Time Signature You're in my way...

Genre: traditional heavy metal / hard rock

I can't help but feeling a bit disappointed when I listen to "Revolution" by Austrian metal veterans Gallows Pole. Their style is old-fashioned hardrock-infused heavy metal, and that in itself is not really a problem to me, given that I have always had a soft spot in my heart for traditional metal.

To be honest, I simply think that a lot of the tracks on this album are too slow and limping, and while some songs certainly have some redeeming elements, a good handful of them are simply below what's acceptable for a band who has been around since the 1970s. "Dirty Love", for instance, sounds like what I can imagine AC/DC would sound like if they were a sucky band (and lyrics like "I wanna fuck you in the street" do not exactly help). Similarly, a track like "Falling Rain" does not have much to offer apart from a sort of thrashy introduction riff, and "Always" promises to be a melancholic power ballad from the intro, but turns out to be just another boring dinosaur rock song.

Unfortunately, most of the songs on this album strike me as being uninspired, unoriginal and way below average, and that is probably why "Revolution" has received some scathing reviews on sites like Metal Express Radio, Hard Rock Hideout, Disagreement and Metal-Temple - reviews I tend to agree with.

It it's not all complete misery. There are a couple of positive things to say, and the album does contain a few catchy tues like the opening track "You're In My Way" whose chorus melody reminds me of an Offspring hit song from the 90s and the ballady "Early Days" does not fail as miserably as "Always", and it even contains a couple of cool guitar riffs. "Hell Again", like "Dirty Love", is a more AC/DC-inspired track, but, fortunately, it works much better than "Dirty Love".

So, there are some redeeming features, as mentioned, but one cannot help wondering how such an experienced hard rock band can make an album that sounds so amateurish, and, despite the redeeming features, this is certainly a disappointment-generating factor.

I think that maybe, hardcore hardrock enthusiasts might enjoy this album, but I am afraid that most metal and rock fans in general will be disappointed with "Revolutions".