On 2017’s Need to Feel Your Love, Sheer Mag made a name for themselves with heavy riffs and cutting lyrics. The same is true for their newest album, A Distant Call, but this time they’ve turned down the soul and turned the guitar up to 11.
Even more than their debut, the Philly rock outfit fully embraces the flamethrowing glory ‘70s glam rock, hair metal and punk. You’d think it’d be hard to sound original when your musical DNA is so classic, yet Sheer Mag never fails to sound like themselves. Their secret: great songwriting and a charismatic singer.
Frontwoman Christina Halladay has a knack for writing and wailing great lines that are can be both touching and hard as nails. When you combine this with catchy power chords and headbanging melodies, you can’t help but want to join the party.
Opening track “Steel Sharpens Steel” makes me want to dance around and shout along. The first seconds of “Unfold Manifest” gives off an almost Judas Priest vibe. “The Killer” unloads riffs worthy of Thin Lizzy and AC/DC.
It’s never a secret where Sheer Mag gets their sound from, but with Halladay howling about politics, abuse, people’s opinions and other shit that matters, it remains refreshingly original.
Score: 🎸🎸🎸🎸/ 5
