Take a Trip Back in Time

Kadavar’s forthcoming album Rough Times is a wonderful addition to the relatively new band’s repertoire. The retro sound that prevails throughout the album is what makes it so unique. From the opening song and namesake of the album, “Rough Times,” to the psychedelic-esque “Tribulation Nation,” to the Beatles cover “Helter Skelter,” each song on Rough Times carries its own unique and somewhat old-fashioned sound.

“Rough Times” is a perfect song to start the album off with. The hard rock percussion mixed with the flute-like noise in the beginning gives off a vibe similar to the early Kinks. Another early song that deserves note is “Skeleton Blues.” With a more space like feeling to the sound and a guitar that sounds like it’s singing itself, “Skeleton Blues” imprints itself on the listener’s brain. Christoph “Lupus” Lindermann’s vocals carry the perfect amount of psychedelic inflection while still retaining that hard rock sound that the band has, and it mixes wonderfully into a surprisingly beautiful song. Another phenomenal song off of Rough Times is “Vampires.” The lighter vocals, along with the steady drumbeat in the beginning set the song up to sound much like something out of the early ’60s rock and roll. However, the climax in emotion and sound turn it into its own form of hard rock, complete with more of Lindermann’s impressive vocals and some great instrumental work on the other member’s parts

A slower song off of the album is “You Found The Best In Me.” Though nothing on this exciting album can be completely considered “slow,” the toned down instruments and vocals are a nice break inside of the constant energy and motion that the rest of the album carries. The lyrics too are romantic: “If I follow you I know I can’t go wrong / you found the best in me / something deep that I couldn’t see.” It’s a song that many can relate to, finding the person that you would drop everything to follow for the rest of your life. The lyrics and sound give a very ’70s Rolling Stones vibe, and that’s what makes it such a great addition to the album. It’s a song that can be enjoyed by many, even those who aren’t normally a fan of the genre.

The final song on the album, a cover of The Beatles White Album song “Helter Skelter” closes Rough Times perfectly. A very authentic cover that could easily pass for the original, save for Lindermann’s higher vocals, it ends an album that is easily a tribute to the hard rock of the past by covering a classic early hard rock song. This cover shows exactly what makes Kadavar so unique. They clearly want to have music that reflects the styles of the ’60s and ’70s, and they absolutely do, while retaining their own style and the elements of the hard rock genre.

Rough Times is set to be released on September 29th, and it’s absolutely worth a listen. For retro fans and non-alike, it’s another great album from Kadavar that has some instant classics off of it.