Gonna be huge
In a current World where Alter Bridge (and touring stable mates of Logan) are temporarily disbanded to chase the mighty dollar in the US over the summer (being multi millionaires isn’t quite enough), we have a readymade replacement waiting in the wings to take over the mantle of ‘melodic rock US radio friendly’ type band!
Logan have been around for a number of years now, not only improving with every gig, and now it seems each passing album release - and they’re the hardest working bunch of musicians (and all round good guys) you're ever likely to meet. Independently signed, they have shifted over 30,000 albums all off their own steam, mainly after gigs I suspect (judging by the recent admirers I saw them win over supporting Thunder the other week) Its an impressive statement in today’s current climate, but to sell 30k copies, the music has to be decent, and thankfully its their best effort to date. A vast leap and bound improvement over ‘Welcome to the Wasteland’ and ‘First Leaf Fallen’. Its a re-release of the 2006 album with three bonus tracks, 'Lost & Found', 'Grounded' and 'New Way', and a vastly improved version of ‘When I get Down’
'Cruel Little World' is a strange mix of influences • you can tell musically that they are after that US of A melodic FM radio sound like Alter Bridge, and, couple that with the grunge tinged vocal style of Kenny Collins (a blend of Scott Stapp, Eddie Vedder and Layne Staley) and its an endearing sound which suits their brand of hi-octane music perfectly. If Logan were from the US then the success of this album would be guaranteed, but without the money and support from a major label they are having to do it the hard way, one sale at a time
CLW kicks off with the classy melodic sing-a- long nugget 'Lost and Found' then moving over to the opening Velvet Revolver type riffs of ‘Stand To Reason’. For me, one of their best songs, and also mine, is the pulsating ‘Hallowed Ground’, a song which builds tempo and draws the listener in. A heavy beast of a song which is even more electric in the live arena. The anthemic theme continues with the strong ‘When I Get Down’. CLW loses its way a little, but doesn’t take long to get back on track. ’Be Strong’ takes its cue from Creed, so much so, if hearing it for the first time, you’d swear that it WAS Creed. The final bonus track ‘With Me’ is a cool acoustic version of the heavier one that was first released. The acoustic version gives this song a completely different perspective. Great way to finish the album off
So yes, its their best effort to date, and I cant recommend a better album to kick off your Logan experience
If they can tweak their sound slightly away from the grunge to the more melodic influences they have , then their next step can and should be a huge one. It wont be long before a major label steps in for sure. Best unsigned band in the UK and beyond