Ryders Creed, Ryders Creed - album review

Air guitarists will love this, bedroom rockers when the other half is out and it doesn't matter who hears you jumping.

Ryders Creed are the latest band to rise out of Stafford and despite only just celebrating their first birthday they already have a deal inked with Off Yer Rocka Records.

They peddle a fast fury of heavy rock/metal that barely eases up in pace from start to finish. This is a real ball buster of a temperament. Intense and loud, it slams eardrums from pillar to post.

It starts from the off. That opening tickle of guitar on single Headspace teases straight away and lets listeners know this isn't going to be a sunny Sunday stroll in the park. It's loud and brash with its thundering percussion and that chorus is a load of fun with its rising growl from the guitar strings.

Promise continues this vibe but in a slightly more pleasent manner. It's not so in-your-face. Less fire and brimstone, more party and boozing. There's also a delightful soaring solo in the middle for rockers to really twiddle the fingers to if they are still air guitaring at this point. Think Red Fang's Hank Is Dead, it's as good as that head banging interlude.

On The Road is more of an easy going journey where the pace relents a little, but the drumming certainly does not. That relationship between the guitars of Myles Cooper and Lee Spencer and Lee Gilbert's drums is key to pretty much everything they do on this self-titled debut and when it works it really, really works.

There are a couple of weaker tracks dotted around but these are few and far between. Ryder, for example, veers a little close to 'dad rock' to be considered as cool as some of the other work here. The repeated refrain of 'ryder, ryder' throughout the chorus doesn't quite work.

But, as said, this is just a blot. As well as Headspace the other real piece of genius here is the delicious grizzle that simmers away throughout Raise The Hoof. This is where those classic metal icon influences really shine through.

A great start from the lads, could we have a new star on our horizon?

Rating: 7/10

Ryders Creed play a hometown gig at Stafford's Redrum on August 18, and the Ryders Creed Xmas party is also booked in for December 15 at Birmingham's O2 Academy