The US rock band Greta Van Fleet received international acclaim in 2018 for their debut album “Anthem Of The Peaceful Army”, but also had to take in some severe criticism. Yet again. While many praised the musicians from Frankenmuth in the US state of Michigan for their classic rock sound, some continued to plagiarize the band, which received a Grammy for their EP “From The Fires”, as a Led Zeppelin plagiarism from.
Three years later, Greta Van Fleet want to finally emancipate themselves from such comparisons with their second long player “The Battle At Garden’s Gate”. Easier said than done. “I think we’ve never worked on an album or an EP for so long,” reports drummer Danny Wagner in a Zoom interview with dpa in London. Connected from Nashville, he emphasizes that they weren’t so influenced by specific artists, but rather by cinema, folklore and great stories. “This is our cinematic album. We always wanted to do that.”
It is no coincidence that the album title brings back memories of “Lord of the Rings”. “Somehow we all read that when we grew up,” says Wagner (22). “And then the films came out.” The band members liked the soundtrack for it by Howard Shore – just like the film music by the German composer Hans Zimmer (“Inception”, “Gladiator”). “We hear as much film music as we watch films,” says Wagner.
This is reflected in a truly epic sound on the album, recorded in Los Angeles. The powerful, rousing ballad “Heat Above” marks the beginning. At first, an almost ecclesiastical organ sounds softly before Wagner’s drums thunder and finally the bass and guitar begin. Only after more than a minute can the distinctive falsetto voice of singer Josh Kiszka be heard for the first time.
All of the songwriting credits are shared by the drummer and the three Kiszka brothers Jake (guitar), Sam (bass) and Josh, who are all between 22 and 25 years old. “None of the songs on this record were written by just one person,” says Wagner. “It’s always a product of all of us. And that’s how we like it.”
Front man Josh sings and screeches through the twelve new, powerful songs with a fantastic range of voices. His singing polarizes – also because of the similarity to the former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, which cannot be completely dismissed. Plant himself even mocked Kiszka’s voice. “He borrowed it from someone I know very well,” joked the 72-year-old in an interview with “The Project Exclusive”. “But what should I do?”
Greta Van Fleet can no longer hear comparisons with other bands, although the musicians initially felt flattered. “It has been going on for years,” says Wagner. “We understand it, but we are not conscious of it at all. That is not our goal. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we are using real instruments.” Well, that’s an understatement.
Because of course Greta Van Fleet play the rock sound of the 70s. “The Battle At Garden’s Gate” could easily be put in a record box between Yes, the Marshall Tucker Band, the forgotten cult group Detective and – you can’t deny it – Led Zeppelin. However, the plagiarism allegation for the second album can no longer be held. Rather, Greta Van Fleet deserve recognition for a strong, versatile classic rock work.
(S E R V I C E – https://thebattleatgardensgate.com)
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