[Artwork by Philipp Igumnov]
Let us begin by discussing ye olde nostalgia. In my world, nostalgia means a forlorn hope of one day harvesting tubers with my sweet aunt who passed away at the old age of thirty-eight. A dear old women who could dig her bony fingers deep into the earth to pull out turnips, potatoes, and radishes at will. There was never a better time for the local Earl. I remember after she died, when harvest yields he began beating us mercilessly and even burning a few youngsters at the behest of his henchman who had a thirst for blood and felt preemptive punishment was the best way to get a result.
Flight are a band that feed into both branches of the aforementioned theme of nostalgia. Name a great band: Judas Priest, Saxon, Thin Lizzy, Blue Öyster Cult, Raven etc., Flight brings them all to life. Whether it’s the clean, jangly guitars, the nearly jazzy beats, the screaming synth, the harmonized vocals, or the intoxicating chunky rhythm chords, the band never disappoints across their third LP, Echoes of Journeys Past.
We begin with “Valley of the Moon.” The track highlights everything that is to come across this little gem. At over five minutes the band makes enough space for ripping leads dripping with chorus and reverb, the oh-so-familiar embrace of a synth, riffs upon riffs, and many different examples of vocalization. The chorus is a caramel velvet elation that allows the listener to settle into the rhythm of the album to come. Exploding from the chorus is an absolutely addictive rhythm riff with some vocal squeals, layered instrumentation, and plenty of cowbell.
The title track is another euphoric exuberance of intoxication. The title of the song is sung in harmony with itself. The guitars crunching across the track like Ryan’s van across broken glass. Again, the riffs are familiar yet entirely new – the chord progression enticing the listener to join the fun with a head nod, tapped foot, or just a lollygagging attitude while lying on a polyester couch in a wood-paneled basement.
Throughout the album Flight manages to remain consistent while injecting numerous styles and expressions of traditional heavy metal. You’ll sing along. You will bop your head. You will silently listen to soft guitars tuned to surf rock. Ultimately, you will fall in love because the album drips with comfortable familiarity and analog beauty.
While Flight have been great in the past their latest is an absolute triumph of their sound. They easily join the likes of Hällas, Wytch Hazel, Tarot, and Tanith keeping the beauty of the classic sound alive. There is absolutely no reason to not reach for this album and every reason to do so. As my dear, tuber-picking aunt used to say, “if you don’t pick the tuber, the Earl will burn your family.” And if you don’t listen to Flight, then he’s likely to burn your future.
