I wonder how many out there remember the band XYZ. Or have even heard of them. Personally I played the hell out of their Don Dokken produced self-titled debut from 1989 back when. The band came across like a mix of Winger and Dokken with a spice of the late 80’s Whitesnake and that was right in my wheelhouse of music. Unfortunately the following Hungry (1992) didn’t even come close to the quality of the debut which led to me losing interest and I didn’t even know about their third record Letter To God (2003) until a few years ago. XYZ is still around with bassist Pat Fontaine and singer Terry Ilous as the remaining original members and a new album is apparently on the way.
Ilous is the reason for the introduction. Apart from being the lead singer of XYZ, Terry Ilous has a couple of solo albums under his belt and he was also the singer of Great White, replacing Jack Russell back in 2012 with whom he released two great albums – Elevation (2012) and Full Circle (2017) – before he was fired back in 2018 for reasons unknown to me. While working on new stuff with XYZ, Ilous also formed the band Gang Of Souls – who changed their name to Land Of Gypsies – with producer and bassist Fabrizio Grossi (Glenn Hughes, Eric Gales), going for a more organic, 70’s approach than XYZ. Completing the band is guitarist Serge Simic (The Slam, Supersonic Blues Machine) and drummer Tony Morra. As a big fan Ilous’ voice, this was something I really looked forward to sinking my teeth into.
And yes, the 70’s it is, at least judging by opener “Believe”, a mid-paced bluesy Classic Rock track that travels on a loose and floating groove, raunchy guitars and an outlook not a far cry from Ilous’ Great White days. It’s quite an organic track yet with nicely layered backing vocals and a smooth main-melody with a direct chorus to go with it but it never goes into AOR territory. Very good indeed. Leading single “Shattered” brings on some vocally held-back verses carried by a pumping rhythm but the song soon takes on a chunky groove and steady Classic Rock approach and boogies away with raunchy riffing, quite live-friendly and on top lies an effective refrain of spark and vigour. Great.
“Trouble” blends 70’s Classic Rock with some 80’s touches – I mean the verses holds a stompy groove similar to Baton Rouge’s “Walks Like A Woman”, if anyone remembers that one. Modern day Europe, early Whitesnake and Led Zeppelin also shows up here. It shows the bluesy marks of 70’s Classic Rock with a hummable vocal-melody and the chorus is catchy and easy to embrace but not chart-friendly at all – and I mean that in the best possible way. Splendid stuff. The highly groove-laden “Give Me Love” shakes, rattles and rolls with big rhythms, sharp-shooting melodies and a crowd-friendly vibe where you can hear traces of both the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s Classic Rock – and another one of those infectious choruses that simply refuses to leave the brain. Oh, I dig this for sure.
“Somewhere Down The Line” really could’ve been meant for Great White. It’s an upbeat, insanely groovy rocker with contagious rhythms. It’s a blues-rocker perfect for the party with a Melodic Rock flirtatious refrain, very distinct and effective and it sticks right from go. Killer. The latest tear-jerker of a single “Rescue Me” starts out slow, down-beat and stripped, acoustically tinged but while it stays on the low-key and slow route it takes on a rawer outlook with some crunchy guitar work and a juicy rhythm. The upbeat twists shapes the song down semi-ballad roads and the song ends on a rougher note. Its infectious chorus makes the whole thing stick like glue but on the other hand, it’s not exactly radio-friendly. It’s a damn fine tune.
Going for a very organic and earthy vibe, “Ordinary Man” is somewhat held-back blues-rock complete with crunchy, raw-edged guitars, a Hammond organ and some dynamic and souly singing from Ilous. It’s a Classic Rock number with both feet in the 70’s that holds a big firey refrain. Brilliant. Blending organic 70’s Classic Rock grooves with more 80’s sounding Melodic Rock melodies, the semi-ballad “Run Away” holds a slower pace, it’s held-back but still quite straight ahead. Slightly pop-driven, the song brings on a distinct hook, more soulful vocals and an affable refrain that catches on right off the bat. Very good.
Starting out with a chunky bass-line on a solid and stompy drum-beat, “Long Summer Day” takes on a more AOR-ish touch with slicker vocal-melodies and yes, a big summer-feel throughout the song. Still, it has rootsy feel all over with some cranking guitar work from Simic. The chorus however, is as smooth as it gets with lots of pop-hooks and spontaneously feels like a radio-hit. This is awesome. “Rambling Man” is more straight-forward Rock ‘n’ Roll – uptempo, upbeat with a live sound and a crowd-pleasing approach. It’s groove-laden with intense riffage and a main-melody that hits hard with a big and catchy, yet never sugary, chorus. Damn good this.
Land Of Gypsies closes the album with a big, fat groover, the mid 70’s Classic Rock stomper “Get It Right”. It’s a more rough-edged rocker, a real live-killer with rhythmic grooves and chuggy riffing and a beefy, tough punch. Some of the vocal melodies are reminiscent of Ilous’ days in Great White and the mix of edgy, energetic 70’s Classic Rock and bluesy 80’s hooks works like a charm here. The chorus is direct, intense and chant-friendly perfect for the stage. A terrific closer.
First of all, I must say that my fear that this would be just another Frontiers project with an 80’s singer went out the window, thankfully because everything on this album provides a spark of this being a real band, a unit and not only Terry Ilous being put in a studio with a bunch of guys with songs written by the label’s go to guys. The rest of the guys does splendid work and Ilous’ himself, well he’s still a magnificent singer and he really shines here – the more organic, blues-rock laden Hard Rock suits his voice so well. Production wise, the album is easy on the ear, it’s polished but not too clean and it sounds rootsy, raw and down-to-earth while the material is well-written. A truly enjoyable debut – and I really hope there is more where this came from.
8/10
Tracklist:
1. Believe
2. Shattered
3. Trouble
4. Give Me Love
5. Somewhere Down The Line
6. Rescue Me
7. Ordinary Man
8. Run Away
9. Long Summer Day
10. Rambling Man
11. Get It Right
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