Damn, this is great! The Judge unashamedly play retro-rock. The band are incredibly influenced by the seventies hard rock and metal. There are obvious Led Zeppelin and Sabbath references but these guys are no mere clones. There's no denying the influence of Sabbath on "Empty Halls" but The Judge's singer, Tyler Swope, has own thing going rather than just copying Ozzy and sits more in hard rock genre than heavy metal. He has the voice most who don't like Led Zeppelin wish Robert Plant possessed in the seventies. It's melodic warmth is easy on the ears. The bass, drums and guitars just seam together perfectly throughout the album. There's a laid back groove to the whole album but it's strongest in "High Flyin'". Fans of guitar noodling and blues style boogie rock will enjoy "Darkest Daze", which has been reworked since appearing on an early EP.
Seventies hard rock fans could play games picking the influences for hours whilst they knock back a cold one or more listening to this album but it's more likely that they'll wind up just listening to "Tell it to the Judge" and just kicking back while enjoying the album. "Tell it to the Judge" sounds like one of the better hard rock albums from the seventies but the production quality is modern. The mix is great with all the instruments coming out nice, clear and loud. Drum cymbals give off the sound they should rather than sounding like sticks hitting canned food.
The Judge manage to have that retro sound and the dart hit the bullseye on "Tell It to The Judge". Go and grab yourself a copy when this gets released.
4/5
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