What can happen if the Swedes unite their musical powers with the Norwegians and release some interesting blend? 'Holy shit!'; that specific phrase popped in my mind while was listening for the first time to the BRUTUS debut effort and I will express myself in words of what is all this about. How far is the chronic distance between '69 with the Hendrix golden era and 2010, where the Scandinavian revolutionary movement continues to charge, betaking every sensitive musician to join the music caravan featuring roots back from the late 60s? The list seems to be endless: Jimi Hendrix, BLACK SABBATH, BLUE CHEER, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, GRANICUS, SIR LORD BALTIMORE, GRAVEYARD till nowadays BRUTUS that sound like they have the blessings and the knowledge of the classic 70s heavy rock. Don't rush to think that this is an easy achievement; there are so many modern retro sounded / heavy rock bands out there and BRUTUS are a special case just because they have their personal identity. Press the 'play' button and you'll discover why.

I venerate WITCHCRAFT and DEAD MAN vintage sound, I respect MAGNOLIA and ABRAMIS BRAMA stage setup (but I can't understand a single word of their Swedish lyrics), I do recognize GRANICUS and SIR LORD BALTIMORE underground history; however, BRUTUS have all the above characteristics plus many more to add. Check their debut and you'll find out the hippie attitude of "Solution" (where the drums are the leaders with their excellent touch), the carefree guitar riffing of "Feel Free" (as the song title witnesses), the characteristic 70s 'wah wah' thing in the melodic line of "Swedish Lady", the ABRAMIS BRAMA-esque main theme in "Hey Mama" setup style and so many more. "Brutus" seems to be the brand new freshness in the whole vintage rock music culture and I believe that the followers will be countless.

Nevertheless, my heart definitely broke when I first listened to "Golden Town" heartbreaking vocals of Jokke comparing involuntarily to Joplin's reading in "Ball And Chain" and the weepy guitar solos that carry something from GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's well-polished glamour, or Hendrix's burst, I dare to say - it's without doubt my favorite song from the album. "The Spirit Of Time" holds an unspeakable bass aggressiveness, making the couple's riffing the more haunting from the whole album, where "Swamp City Blues" tries to wake us up in the heart of the 70s, having bands like CREAM and GROUNDHOGS as leaders.

Purple smokes start to come out from my speakers and female butterflies spread their colorful wings around my shoulders trying to seduce me, when some old vermouth extract tickles my palate joyfully. No, it's not some cheap illusion, neither some unaccomplished daydream; it's only pure heavy rock stuff and BRUTUS are here to stay. Jimi probably laughs under the rose in Heaven and Rory maybe enjoys its bourbon, listening to this album. So, what's your response to that? I raise my glass to BRUTUS till the next one, and the next one, back from the future of Heavy Rock. Cheers to this new 'butterfingered-groovy-psychedelic-hard-rock' era that has just begun!

P.S.: This magnificent release can be purchased at the Record Heaven online store.