Anyone who has investigated even a little into the current state of rock, not to mention the decades of releases, knows that there have been and will continue to be many, many iterations of the classic sound that will, somehow, never feel old. It’s a sound that has been done to death and is constantly being brought back to life by magnificent bands whose touch is all but electrifying as they truly embody the spirit of rock. It’s with their debut album that Lightning Born has already made a tremendous case as to why they are one such act for the modern age.

I’ll be perfectly frank with you: this record is one of the beloved formulas of classic rock and that mixes it with some fizzled out elements of heirloom doom to make for a listen that feels immensely familiar but then relies on the fresh spirit of the band in question to propel it forward into, hopefully, excellence. We’ve all seen it before. We’ve seen it come from some boring acts as well as those that somehow make it feel brand new. Through clear passion and high reverence for the sound, it’s with eleven astounding tracks that Lightning Born makes their debut easily of the latter to make the entirety of this album all but essential for any self-respecting fan of modern rock whose worth their own salt. Truly, everything from top to bottom with this record from the riff-a-licious variety that Lightning Born wields with masterful precision to the vocals that are nothing short of gripping for each track to the musicianship that can only be described as scrumptious to a sheer passion that bleeds forth in every single note and beat of the drums. It all comes together beautifully to make Lightning Born’s debut one that’s unbelievably strong and one that was amazingly difficult for me to rip myself away from.

There have been many times that I’ve found a band that gives me plenty of hope and relief for the future state of rock itself from fresher acts like Zed to veterans like Tanith who are constantly bringing new excellence to the table, and it’s definitely with this record that Lightning Born enters the ranks as one of the acts that must be watched for future quality. Everything about this debut exudes quality and a damn good time, and Lightning Born clearly thrives off the very mention of a good time via rock and roll.

“Lightning Born” releases on June 21st via Ripple Music!

LISTEN to the single, “Shifting Winds”, on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Lightning Born on Facebook here.