Mason Hill’s Against The Wall: arena-ready rock that proves the power of peristence

Scott Taylor and James Bird have shared rock star dreams since meeting as schoolmates. Such aspirations seemed lost when business issues torpedoed the positive response to the Glaswegians’ first EP, but seven years later Mason Hill are back with a full- length debut that proves they’re the real deal. The dozen tunes featured on Against The Wall are riven with references to fortitude and self-belief, but it’s the music that really does the talking. The excellent DNA is powered by enough energy to light up the national grid, but the album’s most rewarding moments are less frenzied, and Scott, an unabashed disciple of Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy, can really sell a song. That’s handy, as Mason Hill have them in abundance.