Review: Theia – Back in Line

This one has been sitting in my inbox for a while, glaring at me. Back in Line sounds completely up my alley but between Camden Rocks, Download, helping a band sell merch and a quick trip to see Guns N’ Roses, it sadly got moved to the back-burner. Then, when looking at my schedule for Wildfire this year, Theia’s name jumped out at me instantly.

Between myself and a few people, they ensured they left their mark on the weekend. After the sombre and Southern twangy intro of “Keezheekoni” with its sinister ending (I won’t spoil it), the album thunders into life and within the space of a dozen seconds, there’s a goofy grin plastered on my face. This is good. This is “run and tell your friends and enemies” good.

No-nonsense rock is severely lacking in 2017 and Theia are out to remind people of how primal rock can and should be. With the menacing riff of “My Poison” and the chugging “Whiskey Business”, the band have created two bombastic tunes built for arenas and is a brilliant one-two opening salvo for the album.

With only Kyle’s Lamley’s crunchy riffs on offer, the ballsy sound is all the more raw with just the one guitar instead of getting bogged down in trying to add more texture where it’s not needed. It’s perhaps most obvious on the bouncy “Paper House”, detailing the thoughts and emotions both a band and a person can go through at a live gig.

However, it’s not all chest-puffing hard rock. The band know how to drop a gear with the acoustic-led “Sparkplug” and “Home”. Even here though, the band sound massive with their more sombre moments.

Meanwhile the aptly-named closing track “Afterglow” is a perfect closer, containing elements and ideas of the previous nine tracks and combines them into a six and a half minute proggy epic. Taking the best of each song, it all comes together seamlessly. Whilst other songs in this vein can come across as messy and a “Look what we did!” statement, the underlying impression seems to be one more of a band who knows it has nine solid gems and for anyone who can’t pick a favourite, they’ve taken the best bits and made a gargantuan parting shot.

Of course, in between all that, you’ll be headbanging your way through the album to Jake Dalton’s Everest-shattering drums. He bounces off Paul Edwards’ bass before going back in for more. It’s almost as if the pair have created a self-contained mosh pit. Songs like the title track with its blues undertones, and “Just Go” pulse with intensity, their infectious rhythms will force you at gunpoint to move with the songs.

Back in Line has come along at the right time. When every band is using the same American bands as influences, Theia bundle them all together, distil it into one sound then combine their other influences to make a sound both modern and classic.

Back in Line is out now

Theia: official | facebook | twitter | youtubebandcamp

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