Thunderbird
Heavyweight

Like a firebird streaking across the skies of nostalgia comes the band Thunderbird with a real heavyweight album that is as retro as it is heavy. It is their second album that follows a decade after the debut and possible there were some deals going sideways during that time as there seems to have been some running for the border as the band’s members can be found in several countries around the world. We find the members in Costa Rica, Canada, UK and Australia, a really international band. And their music is very international according to the code of retro rock/hardrock.

Clearly they use a template from the seventies and the eighties styled hardrock, kind of sound like you imagine classic hardrock. Great vocals, strong production, strong songs, great music when you are out driving and it doesn’t even feel too long even with sixteen tracks. Quality production, that much is certain and simple to take to and enjoy is another quick reflection I have. The other thing I get is the sense of nostalgia and déjà vu, déjà vu in the best of ways I might add but nevertheless it is still déjà vu. I cannot say that anything on this album doesn’t sound rather familiar, for better or worse.

I think they hit the nail on the head, it sounds as it should and it is really good. But it isn’t particularly original and whether you are really praising this album comes down to how you like remakes of old stuff, kind of like if you like seeing new versions of Batman, Superman and what have you on the silver screen or if you yearn for something a little more original. If you are fins with things repeating themselves you probably have no problems at all with this album, well neither have I – until I have to look at it from a critic’s point of view and then its lack of originality and the predictability turns into a little bit of a problem.

They hit all the right buttons with this album that has highlights in Run For the Border, Dog and Heavy Weight, but all the tracks are really good. But no matter how good a retro rocker is it still has the problem that somewhere in the record collection of its prospective fans there is that one album that may or may not be better than this objectively but that the fans enjoy more from a subjective viewpoint. It fights against the legends and without any real originality legends are difficult to beat, but I don’t doubt that they will find many fans amongst men with greying or diminishing hair. This I a real heavyweight album with some excellent songs that will make your drives a whole lot easier.

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