On Convoy’s page on CD Baby, they are described as a “marijuana-laden marriage of Pantera and Skynyrd”. This is one of the more accurate descriptions I have seen on these sites for this Chicago-based quartet.
Convoy formed in Fall of 2009 and are made up of Brian Corbin (vocals/rhythm guitar), Josh Daniel (lead guitar/keyboards), Mike Getz (drums), and Dan Thompson (bass). Corbin also takes lead on the majority of the song writing. River of Sorrow is the bands first release.
River of Sorrow contains a dozen originals that certainly show the Pantera influence mentioned above, but generally don’t get as heavy as Pantera usually did. The Skynyrd influence is less apparent since Convoy’s sounds are more modern and heavier. I was more reminded of early White Zombie, some Corrosion of Conformity, and Black Label Society when listening.
One of the things that impress me most about River of Sorrow is the production and quality of the recording. It is very well done considering this is a self-produced album that was recorded in the band’s basement and mixed and mastered using tools primarily out of the box. Convoy could certainly teach other bands a thing or two about home recording, and could even sell these services based on what I’ve heard here.
Over the 12 tracks some songs are definitely stronger than others. The vocals are generally well done, as is the music. I would like to hear more guitar solos since they’re pretty awesome and don’t happen enough. Lyrically the songs are fairly standard for the genre. They’re generally okay and cover the usual rock topics (anger, drugs, evil, etc.), but it’s an area that can certainly use improvement. Some of the tunes tend to drag on a bit as well, and would be better if they were more succinct. Still, Convoy certainly shows that they have what it takes when they’re hitting on all cylinders; they just need to do it more often.
Key Tracks: Devil’s Bounty, This I Know, Knocked Down, Sins of the Wicked
Kevin Kozel - Sr. MuzikReviews.com Staff
September 8, 2011
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