2018 – Up 2 Zero
Entertainment
By Phillip Smith; Jan, 19, 2019
Anthony
Gomes is such a powerhouse of a musician; I can’t help
but love everything he puts out. His
latest album, Peace, Love & Loud
Guitars, is a smashing success due to his guitar mastery, raspy commanding
vocals, and diligent songwriting chops. Gomes’
band consists of bassist Mike Brignardello, drummer/percussionist Greg
Morrow, keyboardist David Smith, with Chris Leuzinger on
acoustic guitar.
The front half of the album leads off with a terrific
homage to the legendary king of the blues, BB King, on “Come Down”. Gomes keeps this one fired up with an
infectious riff, and piles it on thick with scads of smile-worthy BB King-style
licks. He blows the roof off the house
with his ode to the queens of manufactured housing with “White Trash Princess”. The number of songs out in the world about
drinking is almost limitless, and “The Whiskey Made Me Do It” tops the list. Gomes slide guitar on this is
magnificent.
Title track, “Peace, Love & Loud Guitars” kicks
off the second half of the album, with a killer hook, and the ferocity of AC/DC.
Charlie Daniels sang about the time
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. Black
Oak Arkansas had a “Race With the Devil”, and Van Halen was “Running
With the Devil”. There’s something kind
of kickass about those songs, and Gomes fearlessly throws his hat into
the ring of badassery to recant a tale about taking a ballsy visit down to the infamous
crossroads. His mission: to take Robert
Johnson’s soul back from Beelzebub, as he sets out to go “Stealin’
From the Devil”. This one absolutely rocks.
Gomes continues rocking hard with
“Hard Road Easy”, which leads off in a Led Zepplin “Kashmir” manner.
Peace,
Love & Loud Guitars is an album every fan of blues-rock needs to
pick up. Gomes puts the rock in blues-rock, and has
indeed set a new bar for himself with this release.
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