The appallingly named Gin Lady arise from the ashes of Black Bonzo, a fine Swedish band that concocted three albums of Hammond organ-drenched, Uriah Heep-tinged retro prog.
The most recent of these, 2009’s Guillotine Drama, was an exceptional piece of work. However, Black Bonzo were becoming hemmed in by the proggier aspects of their oeuvre and with label problems throwing an additional spanner into the works, they’ve chosen to reinvent themselves… a little.
Truth told, only a fool might claim that a chasm of difference separates the two groups. Gin Lady are less reliant upon the King Crimson/Camel-style affectations of Black Bonzo, though the heroic interplay between Klas Holmgren’s Hammond and the sturdy guitar of Joakim Karlsson ensures that things remain rooted in that same decade.
They’re channelling the halcyon 1970s rock of their heroes – Heep, Purple, BÖC and Cream – into a package that’s certain to cause salivation among hard-rock purists.
