Here's a rather nice review of the forthcoming Simplicity Of the Riff Is Key EP on Concrete Web zine. Expect an announcement soon with a release date.

CD REVIEW Grifter

Band : Grifter Album Title : The Simplicity Of The Riff Is Key Label : Catacomb Records Distributor : / Release Date : October 2009 Review : CDEP After one 5-track CDEP High Unholy Mighty Rollin’  Plymouth, UK based heavy rock’n’ roll outfit Grifter are back, this time with their second 4-track CDEP titled The Simplicity Of The Riff Is Key. Ringing harmonies, hook-heavy riffs and driving rhythms. Ollie isn't exactly what I would call a dynamic vocalist, but his rough but not brutal vox are perfect for the album. As a guitar player, Ollie displays good sense of melody and his guitar soloing just scream class and skill. The riffs are simple and the rhythms straight forward, though slightly busy under the surface, with Clutch-like vocal arrangements layed on top. If you listen to bands like The Answer, AC/DC, Zeppelin, Karma To Burn or even The Atomic Bitchwax you'll certainly have no problem with this. The boogie riffs are there, and so is the AC/DC/ZZ-Top grooviness, wrapped in a solid production. delivered with ferocious energy, sloppy but tight, totally in your face and stinking of beer, cigs and sweat. Musically this is pretty basic stuff but there are hints here and there that these guys have more chops than they're letting on. The music is not the most original thing in the world, but the enjoy ability factor more than makes up for that. Grifter are just plain out there and rocking it with nothing but good times. More information can be found at their web-site http://www.myspace.com/grifterrock Cosmicmasseur.

Read it here!!!!

I found this pretty cool review of our forthcoming EP, "The Simplicity of the Riff is Key" due in the New Year on Catacomb Records.



UK Riff Kings Grifter return with another EP of no bull, straight ahead bar-room 70's style jamming riff tunes. Simplistic to a degree but a wonderfully refreshing take on classic 70's Southern /Stoner Hard Rock, the title of this EP tells the story really. There is only 4 songs, nothing fancy just hit you in the gut rock and roll. The sound on this one seems a little more polished compared to their previous EP "High Unholy Mighty Rollin" but in a way it has made their sound even more straight to the point. There is big intro's or ending of songs, each track gets moving from the very first note. There is something about the sound that could only come from a British band, the vibe and energy reminds me of some classic UK bands from the past. The only modern band that comes close might be the amazing "Josiah" who also have that classic UK pub sound but Grifter don't need such comparisons. From the opening track "The Voices" you get a good dose of old fashioned groovy rock complete with a unforgettable chorus that will get you singing along especially if you are having a few beers while you are listening. If there is ever a band that makes you want to booze it up, it is this one. "Blind Rat Swarm" is a little more straight ahead with plenty of guitar crunch and pounding drums. There is a bit of a "ZZ Top" vibe within this tune and while this is a more traditional effort, it remains a favorite song of mine on this EP. "Pendulum" continues the groove based rock, another cool tune with a killer bass line. Ollie's vocals are particularly strong and these songs are perfect for his singing style, i know he has been compared to the dude from "Clutch" but i don't hear that much. The final track brings things back to a more straight forward style with more crunchy guitar and then its over. At under 20 minutes, its a short but ever so sweet kick ass pub rock release that should please both fans of 70's Hard Rock and modern Stoner rock people who still like good old fashioned beer drinking riff rock. This band might get words thrown at them like "generic" and "predictable" but this is only one blueprint for this style and Grifter know it backwards. This EP not only rocks but its also a lot of fun to listen to but bring the beer. 9/10

Grifter on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads


Read it here

We have another interview online at www.onlyfoolsandnoises.com

This is a pretty new webzine, barely a month old but already doing some interesting things so head on over and have a look.

Read the interview here

We've had the same old songs up on our player for a while now so it's had a bit of a rejig so there's a couple of different tunes from each EP and something unreleased (as yet)

Enjoy!!!

Outer Space Patrol

Cheers to Chris from Trippy Wicked for alerting me to this rather nice write up of the Orange Goblin gig that we supported at. I love the fact that the 4 other support bands don't even get a mention.

21/09/09

Orange Goblin & Grifter @ The Underworld 12/09/09

I didn't know what to really expect at this gig, I had listened to a few tunes from both bands but the only thing I could vaguely remember about them was hard riffage.

Grifter are an ass kickin', booty shakin' whiskey rock band from Plymouth in the UK, Thats what it says on their site, and that is certainly what they are. These guys came on and rocked the joint like an earthquake. Inspired by bands such as Black Sabbath, ZZ TOP, and Cactus these guys play their own concoction of rock & roll. The venue wasn't at full cap however that meant nothing as the atmosphere of the performance was full of energy and gusto with some funny talk in between songs. I had a chance to talk to the frontman after the gig and he loved it when I said 'theres always room for some fat riffage in everyone's life'. I cant remember why I felt that needed to be said, blame it on the rum. Oddly enough, he mentioned that they were a bit nervous at the start of the set although it didn't show all gig.

Orange Goblin, in case you have been living in a saddam-hole, are a stoner doom metal band from London. Their pretty old school, and have been getting high and dooming it out since 1995!
As these guys came on stage, classically enough suddenly a horde of fans arrive out of no where and storm the venue as the band start their set. Everybody was there, from the classic metal heads who have been doing this since 76' to the 16 year olds who just hang out at the underworld regularly. No really, there were some metal vet's standing around all old and wizened from many a gig. The whole gig was plain awesome, the vocalist even dived into the crowd and was carried like a king around the floor, and they even came back for an encore playing 'Into The Void' by need I say it? Black Sabbath. That was the cherry on top.

Just got this cracking little piece online at Heavy Planet

New Band To Burn One To-Grifter

The "New Band To Burn One To" today is Grifter.



Most people think Grifter are from West Virginia or somewhere like that, but they are actually from Devon on the south west coast of the UK. Their main influences are old 70's stuff like Sabbath, Cactus, Mountain, Captain Beyond, Lynyrd Skynyrd (actually their drummer hates them!!!), Grand Funk, Led Zeppelin...etc. and a few of the current bands like Clutch and Scissorfight.

In 2005 they released their first demo, "Elephantine".

In 2006 they signed up with Fury 76 Records (run by Scruff of crust/thrash band Hellb*stard) and in 2008 released their EP "High Unholy Mighty Rollin'"

In 2008 they also hooked up with Catacomb Records after one of their tracks "Slow Boy" appeared on a compilation they released called "The Sound of the Catacombs".

Their new EP "The Simplicity of the Riff is Key" (Review)is all mixed, mastered and ready to go, so be on the lookout for that sometime soon.

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Live version of "Young Blood, Old Veins" recorded at Tiggas Bar, Exeter 03/10/08



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For more info on this killer band check out these sites:

MySpace
Last.fm

This is one of those bands that once you hear you just can't get enough of. I am truly diggin' this shit and hope you guys do too.

Here's a rather nice review of last night's gig at the Junction from Adrian Mules


If you asked me to make a list of my favourite gigs I don't think there would be a stadium in the top 10. For me the intimate in-your-face venue is far more of an experience. So it's with some excitement I'm off to see local legends Grifter at the Junction in Plymouth.

Chatting with singer Ollie before the show he tells me how they are careful not to play the same cities too often, so the anticipation is rife for their performance. With both support bands pulling out at the last minute due to the very rock 'n' roll incidence of the birth of children, Grifter will have to carry this show on their own. With a large following in the South West and ever growing support across the country, they take being alone in the limelight in their stride.


The band begin tuning up and getting the levels right as the amassed crowd begin to huddle round the relatively small stage. I'm taking photos tonight, so I try and get a sweet spot to shoot from - unfortunately this is right beside the PA and Grifter are extremely loud. They roll effortlessly into their set of dirty blues and rock numbers. Recent reviews of their latest EP assumed when the band said they were from the South they meant Arizona rather than Devon. But listening to them it's easy to make that mistake: their nasty rock and roll could accompany a bar room brawl in Phoenix as easily as it could tonight in Plymouth.

Mixing the tempo through their set, with balls out, high speed rock then switching to slow and nasty grinds they have the audience their pocket. They are so loud at one point Ollie's pint resting on the PA is propelled into the floor sending glass and Guinness in all directions. Their hometown crowd are at the bar buying him another before the staff have even located the mop. There are no stops on this ride, drummer Foz is a frenzy, he's the engine and conductor of this stop-start-style bus-of-rock with little flamboyance - just peddle to the floor aggression.


Ollie calls to crowd to see who's come up from Cornwall to see them tonight and there are several responses which turn to laughs as they launch into 'Brother Sister' a song about the supposed incestuous relationships of the Cornish. As a Cornishman myself I keep my head down and thank my stars that I don't have any siblings.

Throughout this bass player Phil is a rock of precision, tight fret work and solid funky rhythms keep the dance floor moving. A fight nearly breaks out but is soon resolved and the parties shake and make-up. With one hand the band are Ares - God of war, with the other Aphrodite - Goddess of love.

The blistering set is soon brought to close with 'Elephantine' and Ollie's throaty vocals drive 18 wheels of rock through the venue and smash out the doors onto parts unknown. No matter where you live Grifter will be playing near you soon. See them if you dare!

8/10

http://www.myspace.com/grifterrock


Read it here.

We just got a lovely write up for the forthcoming EP at the Obelisk

Grifter Keep it Simple

The lovely Mari at Sludgeswamp has been so cool to us I sent some more stuff over to her to check out and this is what she had to say

Some more dirty rock from Devon …

The guys from the UK band Grifter are a nice bunch of dudes. This is actually often the case when it comes to deal with the bands gravitating here towards the Swamp: they are full of nice people who love music and having good time.
Grifter come from SW England, Devon. The post introducing Grifter’s EPs last week (here) became quite popular, if one considers the constantly growing number of downloads beside the encouraging comments.
So the band’s guys were so kind to pass me their first release, the 2005 demo Elephantine, which contains some more tracks in the same juicy rock style as the later EPs.
Ollie, the band’s frontman, was writing to me about various quite funny anecdotes about their concerts in the UK pubs and halls, with lively involvement of the public in the shows. Then he decided to make me, and then you, take somehow part to one of those shows by sending a further gift, i.e. a high-quality live recording of a concert at the Underdog Art Company in London on May 2nd 2009.
Here are some comments from Ollie: “This was part of a poster show called the Rock and Roll Poster Riot held at the gallery and featured various bands throughout the day. We'd been in the pub all afternoon and had things breaking while we played but we had a really good time and I think that comes across in the recording.”
The reconding captured a nice atmosphere: the sounds are fine and one can follow the exchange of jokes between the band and the public. I appreciated particularly one song, which had been dedicated to one guy in the public and in general to those “who fucking lived”: Young Blood Old Veins. Oh yeah!!
That’s for the swampers who are “not so young”, let's say “over 30” or “25 years-PLUS-experience old”, and so including me (the witch), X-Angel, Cheeto Cat (definitely, after what you revealed about your turbid hippy-punk-grunge past …), Stump, etc. …
Thanks, Ollie!!!


Sludgeswamp

We got a nice little write up on the Sludgeswamp blogspot.

This is a truly awesome place to check out music. Thanks to Mari for her support

Mmmmm, sooo good ….

Here is a new band’s contribution for the Swamp!
Ollie, from the UK band Grifter (Southwest England), kindly sent us his band’s EPs for us to enjoy and possibly, to give an opinion (he already knows mine!).
Grifter includes Ollie (vocals, guitar, general mouthiness and … long hairs!), Phil (bass in own-designed chess shirt …) and Foz (drums, van driving and shouting at people!), as you can see in their myspace page.
Well, the guys from Grifter are shoveling slabs of whiskey-soaked, ale-fueled, greasy bluesy hard rock full of testosterone and rich in juicy and catchy riffs like those highly appreciated here at the Swamp.
This is what they wrote in their introducing e-mail message, so you can get a better idea of what to expect: “We're basically a dirty rock and roll band...most people seem to think we're from West Virginia or somewhere like that but we're actually from Devon on the south west coast of the UK. Our main influences are old 70's stuff like Sabbath, Cactus, Mountain, Captain Beyond, Lynyrd Skynyrd (actually our drummer hates them!!!), Grand Funk, Led Zeppelin...etc and a few of the current bands like Clutch and Scissorfight.” And in Ollie’s vocals there is definitely some groovy Clutch style …
Grifter released one demo and two EPs (in 2008 and in 2009), which you find below, together with some more "literature" on them in form of promo leaflet.
Grifter’s guys did a lot of touring and gigs around UK and hopefully they will tour in Europe as well next year. But in the meantime the UK swampers may enjoy Grifter during a short tour coming up supporting Firebird as well as in London with Orange Goblin on September 12th (see details in myspace).
Please, enjoy and kindly leave a comment for them.

Check out the site here