Appalachian Death Ride


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Appalachian Death Ride (1996), 6/10
Hobo's Codebook (2003), 7/10
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Appalachian Death Ride were formed in Ohio in 1990 by vocalist and guitarist Chris Biester, an open ensemble of eight to ten musicians who debuted with the three-song EP Appalachian Death Ride (Lovehammer, 1991), containing Butterfly, Darkflower and George, and with the single Firefly/ Drowning (Anyway, 1992).

Their first full-length album, Appalachian Death Ride (Anyway, 1996), was a bristling folk-rock collection (Wintersong, Sunrise, Harvest Moon).

After a seven-year hiatus, the band returned with a new line-up (vocalist and guitarist Chris Biester, bassist Bill Stamp, drummer Chris "Nazz" Dillon, fiddler Willy Perkins, guitarist Mike McGovern), a new album, Hobo's Codebook (Anyway, 2003), and a sound that is solidly anchored to folk music, from the rousing singalong of The Mission to the cajun square dance of Wedding Coat, from the slavic dance of The Voodoo Crawl (a` la Virgin Prunes) to the majestic, martial ballad Johnny Come Lately. But this is more than just an American version of the Pogues and the Mekons: the visceral, relentless bacchanal of The Serpent, and the anthemic, Springsteen-ian rock'n'roll of Comin' Around are blue-collar rock at its best.

(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)

Appalachian Death Ride si formarono in Ohio nel 1990, ad opera del cantante/chitarrista Chris Biester, ed è un ensemble aperto fino agli otto/dieci elementi. Il debutto avviene l'anno dopo con l'EP Appalachian Death Ride (Lovehammer, 1991), contenente Butterfly, Darkflower e George, e col singolo  Firefly/ Drowning (Anyway, 1992).

Il debutto sulla lunga durata, l'album Appalachian Death Ride (Anyway, 1996), era una ruvida raccolta di folk-rock (Wintersong). 

Dopo un silenzio di sette anni, la band ritorna con una nuova line-up (a fianco di Chris Biester ci sono il bassista Bill Stamp, il batterista Chris "Nazz" Dillon, il violinista Willy Perkins, e il chitarrista Mike McGovern), un nuova album, Hobo's Codebook (Anyway, 2003), e un sound sempre ancorato alla musica folk, dal vigoroso singalong di The Mission alla danza da piazza in salsa cajun di Wedding Coat, dalla danza rurale di The Voodoo Crawl (è la  la Virgin Prunes) alla ballata maestosa e marziale Johnny Come Lately. Ma cìè più che una versione americana dei Pogues o dei Mekons: il baccanale, viscerale ed implacabile, di The Serpent, e l'anthemico rock'n'roll Springsteen-iano Comin' Around sono colletti blu del rock al loro meglio.

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