Back in 2016, British rock band Pearl Handled Revolver released ‘If The Devil Casts His Net’, an excellent album of dark rock tunes taking in influence from past greats The Doors with a swathe of riffs from Queens of The Stone Age and a pinch of early Deep Purple. They’d released material prior to this, but this record is where their brand of retro rock really came into its own.
A lot of time has obviously passed since then. The band have played a huge number of gigs – even appearing on the bill for the A New Day Festival in 2023 as support for Caravan, Ozric Tentacles and System 7 (the electronica duo featuring the legendary Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy) – and released a couple more albums.
Their full length release ‘Tales You Lose’ is scheduled for release in April ’25, but first, the band aim to entice listeners with a new track ‘Space Invader’, which can be heard below.
‘Space Invader’ feels a little more direct than some of the band’s past works, since it’s loaded with busy riffs and almost funky bass moments, but at the heart of the rocky number, you’ll find some familiar traits. Firstly, there’s a huge, swirling organ which tips the hat to classic Deep Purple, which makes an intermittent appearance to ensure the old-school heart still pumps furiously. Then, of course, there’s Lee Vernon’s distinctive lead vocal, which serves a massive croon as if he’s the direct descendant of the much missed Mark Lanegan.
From the moment the main riff hits, this is a track that doesn’t let up. The musical collision between the keys and the dual guitar work creates a perfect storm of 70s infused riffs, and even with a less than pristine production, it’s the kind of track that conveys a great energy. Falling somewhere between middle period Queens of The Stone Age and 70s relics like Zior, this promises great things from the new LP, and is pretty much guaranteed to thrill extant fans. It’s also the kind of enthusiastic performance that could bring new listeners to the fold, so for Pearl Handled Revolver, this should be considered an all round success.