LIVING IN FEAR

Tempest is a 70's power rock trio.I know very little about them except for the fact that famous guitar player Alan Holdsworth played on their self-titled debut album. Living In Fear is their amazing second album.

SIDE ONE starts of with the hard rocking "Funeral Empire" which sounds pretty much like Scandinavian 90's band The Hellacopters. The beauty of this song can't be said in plain words and the track is rather original. "Paperback Writer" is a herd-edged and faster version of the famous Beatles single.It's very similar to the original.The imitation of the vocal intro is well-done. Tempest added some heavy guitar solos. "Stargazer"'s got some soulful vocals on it, again written and sung very originally.The wonderful leading riff reminds me of the mood of Led Zeppelins "Trampled Under Foot" ( Physical Graffiti,1975).This track's got a nicely haunting bridge and a series of bluesy solos. "Dance To My Tune" closes the first side.It's a hardrock song with a very interesting middle section which becomes quite quiet and builds up majestically and eruptively up towards the end. This is the longest song of the album (nearly 8 minutes). SIDE TWO: "Living In Fear" is a blues song of a melodic masterclass.The chorus is fantastic and beautifully piano-driven. "Yeah Yeah Yeah" begins with a short smashing drum intro and is again melodically a verys trong song with Beatle-like vocal harmonies.The use of the double bass drum is highly effective. "Waiting For A Miracle" has got a magical multiple acoustic guitar solo.The verses sound like 60's psychedelic rock with some keyboard parts between the lines and in the closing section.Incredible stuff! "Turn Around" begins with lots of odd (cello-like) guitar effects and turns out to be a pretty complex and heavy song.Between the vocal parts we can hear a couple of unbelievable guitar fillings.

Tempest consists of three highly skilled musicians. Living In Fear is a supreme selection of catchy songs. Tempest knows what good entertaining rock is. Structure,melody and style fusions are their fields of excellence.It's difficult to put this band in a certain category as they combine blues, a bit of jazz, (hard)rock, 60's pop and psychedelic rock with progrock. 'Turn Around' are the final words of the record and that's exactly what you'll do.You will turn the LP around (back to side one) and you'll listen to it over and over again.