My first impressions after listening to the opening few tracks of Undertow were that this band has been on the circuit for a long time with numerous releases under their belt. Well, in fact all 4 members are 16 years old and under - which after listening to this their first release is quite amazing.
Bleeker Ridge hail from an almost cartoon-ish place called Lagoon City in Ontario, Canada. The band has gone from basement wannabies to recording this 9-track album in a very short space of time...
Instantly I am overwhelmed by the opening track Take me. I love the stoner Zepplin-esque guitar riffs.. Undertow, the second track, has a very Sabbath feel to it, not to take away any of the individuality of the band but you can hear where the influences lie.
After listening to the songs a few times over, you really start to appreciate how well this album is written. Don't Lean On Me has an organized chaos about it like Dustin Steinke is playing a drum solo and the rest of the members are playing catch up. Genius!!
Been There is another track that stands out. You'd think that Taylor Perkins smokes 60 a day, washed down with a few bottles of J.D.!
To sum this band up, this album is an excellent debut and with the right backing they will go on from strength to strength and be a major force on the Metal/music scene.