The Battle at Garden's Gate

Recently discovered this band and have gone down the rabbit hole of this talented and very new band. I could hardly believe they were as young as they are and able to produce music that wouldn't have gone amiss amongst the progressive rock bands of 60's or 70's.Having read no press behind the album, I enjoy it immensely and think they are trying to tell a message but I haven't quite figured it out yet.If you like great old school rock guitar solos and all, this band may just be for you!

Good album. Prefer their previous stuff though.

"The Battle at Garden's Gate" is the second album by classic rockers Greta Van Fleet. I have been following these guys for a few years now, since early 2018, just before their debut album landed. I was lucky enough to see them live when they toured the album. I say lucky as I got tickets despite the tour selling out in minutes at a 2,500-capacity venue. But the actual experience, while overall was good, was let down a bit with frustratingly long guitar solos that seem to go nowhere and last what felt like an eternity.But one thing about Greta is that they are a young band and still growing and evolving. They got people talking from the minute the stepped on to the scene with their early EPs and as their debut came out, the snowball effect came into play and got people talking even more. With the release of Greta Van Fleet's second album the momentum has not stopped, and Greta don't back down, they just come out fighting harder. It's clear they still get annoyed at the comparisons they get to 70s rock bands like Led Zeppelin. They just want people to see them for creating something which gives them their own identity rather than people just thinking they are copycats.Personally, I think even with the last album they created their own identity. Yes, it's clear they have their influences but these are their tracks and it's difficult to say which tracks people think they are copying because I don't think there is any grounds for this. I think the reason is, is because it was so good and well received by many, it's easy for haters to come out and stamp all over them.But what have they done differently with this album? Well even from the face of it you can see what they have done. Their debut "Anthem of the Peaceful Army" is 11 tracks long coming in just under 50 minutes. This means the average track length is about 4 1/2 minutes. Now look at "The Battle at Garden's Gate" and its 12 songs long coming in at 1 hour 3 minutes. So, the average track time is 5 1/2 minutes. An average of 1 minute longer per track. This shows that they have tried to really push themselves more into creating longer more complex tracks. And on listening to the album, you really do hear this. It goes in all sorts of directions and you can really feel a step up in terms of quality compared to the first album and that's saying something as the first album was good.I would say that due to this there is not as many straight up, to the point rock songs which have had to have been dialled back due to being more adventurous. But the likes of "My Way, Soon" does fit that bill so they did have a track which is suited for single release. It was clear though from the first single that they released "Age of Machine" which sits at just under 7 minutes long where this album was going.My favourite tracks off the album are "Broken Bells" and "The Weight of Dreams". "Broken Bells" has I felt the vocals were particularly good on this track and it has some nice guitar parts. "The Weight of Dreams" closes out the album and is the "epic" track I have been waiting for from Greta Van Fleet. This track is 9 minutes long and has a sublime guitar solo. It's one of those that peaks and then just keeps peaking. The whole track is wonderful. I don't know what it is about longer tracks but I just find myself drawn to them and when they are done as good as this, I find myself completely encapsulated by them.Overall a great album. It has taken me time to really get into this one and I think there is still more to unearth as there is so much to it. But that is the great thing about it. The talent these boys possess is unreal and I feel they have reached new heights with this effort. The haters are probably going to grow but I think the fanbase will also grow too which is why more people will hate them. It was difficult enough to get tickets for their last tour but with the amount of material they have now I can see them stepping up to arenas quite comfortably. Let's just keep the guitar solos like they did on this record. :-DOne final note. I bought the CD for this and nice of them to put a bit of effort into it. The feel of it is great and the artwork inside is something I would be quite happy to hang on the wall.

Great music, came nicely packaged, and it's brand new so no complaints there!

Good quality of music.

Each album they make is stronger than the last. Some outstanding tracks on here.

A masterpiece, can't wait until the next record!

I was drawn to check this band out after seeing a video for Broken Bells (included on the album). I am aware of the flack they have received for being a Led Zep rip off but I was amazed at the video, so much so that I decided to gamble on buying the record. So glad I did, it's a fantastic album, full of inventive classic rock, great playing and the vocals are stunning. Yes there is a touch of Zep on occasions but so what? It's a young band finding their way so more power to them. The production is punchy and modern with a warm 70s vibe. This is a double album with a superb gatefold sleeve, embossed leather look on the outside and a great 70s style embossed painting on the inside. Enclosed is a lyric book with funky symbols and a band portrait. The whole thing is classy and has been put together with great attention to detail. Pressing is superb, and really; if you have any interest in classic rock this should find a home in your collection.