Review: Guy Freedom English- American Made

From the first beginning blast of the song “Scream”, the album American Made jumps out at you out of the speakers like a smooth classic car made in Detroit that has some rust and dirt on it, but in a way almost giving it a charm that a slick, computerized, modern car made on foreign soil would not. From the first song I heard a riff that reminded me of a slightly more modern take on The Stooges if it had Bon Scott on vocals, a punky but retro dynamic that sustains itself through the song.

Indeed, it is rare to hear a band nowadays that isn’t doing something retro without sounding extremely calculated in doing so. Guy seems to be doing this in a more natural way than the bands playing occult rock following Ghost or doing Stoner Rock that sounds like an inferior version of the band  Witchcraft from 15 years ago. I immediately was taken by the drums as well, the raw sound almost reminding me of the many singles that came out of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. No quantization nor triggers here, and that is refreshing to hear nowadays.

The second song, the title track, has a chunkier, slower feel that goes further into the more British Metal meets American Garage feel hinted at in the first song. A killer pounding riff ensues with some cool harmonies put. The lyrics are a bit jingoist for my personal liking, but I can’t deny the catchiness of the song.

The third song, Standing in the Rain, mellows things out a bit in the beginning. Not exactly a ballad, just a more mellow song, almost more power balladish of sorts, this one almost has a feel that could fit on 90s alternative radio (in a small way). There’s also no denying the excellent guitar solo towards the end of the song.

The fourth song, Cyberspace is a mid paced rocker that in some ways gets back to the AC/DC influence that permeates the album (with a bit of Priest’s more straightforward riffing put in). Lyrically, it almost reminds me of the Tubes famous song “She’s a Beauty” updated for the modern day of Porn Hub.

Take Me Back To the DPRK is like The Beatles's “Back to the USSR” for modern times but obviously about North Korea. An interesting song, but the first one that feels a bit fillerish to be honest. It has some Dictatorish/Ramonesish chants but falls short of the previous 4, since it kind of drags a bit.

Dressed to Kill is a cool AC/DC meets a touch of Metallica style rocker that features lyrics neither about the Brian DePalma movie nor the Kiss album, instead featuring lyrics about a sleazy seductress.

Broken Wings is the next track and is a more melodic mid paced metal rocker. A cool, positive song with an affirmative message. It almost reminds me of some of the more downtempo songs by WASP for some reason. The chorus also reminds me of Ozzy in some ways.

The final song, starts out with a lick that almost reminds me if you took Thunderstruck and Flash of the Blade and smashed them together. Classic metal and hard rock abounds. In fact, this song reminds me of Maiden more than the other songs on the album put together.

A song about playing live, it is a cool anthemc closer to an album that shows the boundless potential for this artist.

So what do I think overall?

Guy Freedom English is a project with huge potential to hit it big in the rock and metal scene in the coming years. A terrific songwriter with an ear for hooks and melody, his songs have the grit and energy of the past with an ear to the future. The whole album was recorded, as he says “at home on a four track”, but if we’re lucky, we will see him play arenas and stadiums soon, his ear for big rock hooks and energy cannot be understated. I have heard a lot of artists on this blog in my time and I can say this is one of the ones with the most potential.

The downsides? Obviously being a homemade project the production is rough though this is also kind of the charm as stated previously. The lo-fi feel of the project is a double edged sword, I dig the drums but there are parts that probably could be more even, there are vocals that could be better done, despite the appeal of the vocal styles contained therein. I think with some of the rough spots smoothed out it would rise to an even higher level, but do these downsides detract from my enjoyment of the record? NO. I can already see an A and R person with an eye and ear for talent (and hopefully for allowing free reign) picking up Guy Freedom English and making him a star. Just my advice for the man: don’t let them dull the edge you have in writing killer songs, and make it too slick. Keep the raw edge, and the terrific ear for melody and riffage, and Rock and Roll in general has a very bright future!

Please check out my video review of the album below and also,
you can get more information on Guy Freedom English from the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mgzzBuA0b_KFDBzooJsO2jm4gbE-I4QMo

https://open.spotify.com/album/10OZ7BJ5Kt0BRWJ3kh6qwJ?si=0FUuYhW_Rz6woz4usv-1Gg


https://www.instagram.com/guyfreedomenglish/?hl=en