The Night Marchers • See You In Magic
“The Night Marchers” is the latest band containing the busiest man in rock and roll John Reis. John Reis (AKA Speedo) is leader of the legendary “Rocket From The Crypt” and “Hot Snake”. This new adventure sees Reis release possibly his most obvious and accessible music yet, while still retaining his recognisable style.
Debut Album “See You In Magic” is set for release on the 21st of April through One Little Indian Records and is set to be another Reis classic. It contains 11 tracks of music written by the same line-up as Hot Snakes, minus front man Rick Froberg. Despite his absence they maintain their rumbling energy but allow for a more mainstream delivery with catchy and slightly more commercial chorus lines.
The clean guitar sound which is present throughout the album is typical of Reis’s style and compliments his gritty punk voice excellently. The album is entertaining throughout from the rumbling bass lines and catchy shout backs of “And I Keep Holding On” to the rockabilly sounds of “Closed For Inventory”. Reis does seem to have created an album which is more mature and reflects his developed song writing skills through his lyrics.
Many fans of Reis’s other band may find exciting new discoveries in “See You In Magic” as Reis shows aspects which are not present within his other projects. The use of wandering melodies and piano pieces are present in the album and show this evidence of maturity. It may however be the case that current fans dislike this mature and polished approach taken by Reis. After a career filled with underground acts and hidden success without the pressures of mainstream powers, is this Reis’s stab at the limelight.
However I wouldn’t let all this talk of maturity scare you off as this album still has a youthful and passionate feel about it. The songs still contain the “Clash” and “Who” like raw emotion. It is difficult to imagine that Reis has written this album with the thought of achieving a more mainstream popularity. It is more likely that the chance of a new project, a clean slate and a new mature outlook on his writing has allowed him to reach in new directions.
If you are a fan of Reis then I definitely suggest you check out this release.