Matt LuceyMeet the Band
Altered Five Blues Band is a five piece blues band that formed in 2002. Hailing from Wisconsin, they’ve been steadily bringing out music ever since. With 7 studio albums, and plenty of live shows, they’ve been making a name for themselves. Though the band had a rough time in the early days, having to rotate through record labels and band members. Following that, the band continued to make music with a range of studios, as well as finding some success online.
While the band is not wholly made up of full time musicians, the passions and standards that they showcase in their music is nothing to laugh at. Having toured and played in myriad venues and festivals, the band has more than established its love for the music and its dedication to the work. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this band recently online and was pleasantly surprised. The incredible thing about music today is that you can find these bands that would never have been accessible 50 years ago. Clearly, some other people have had similar thoughts, as this band has, on multiple occasions, been nominated for several awards.
Style and Substance
They’re style is straight up blues. Nothing pretentious, nothing crazy, just good, steady blues jams. As is the case with many smaller bands, their passion is what drives them forward. Because of that, the relatively low budget albums made up of songs written by school principals, feels just as much at home in the genre as anything else.
Their most recent release, Hammer and Chisel, is a strong, straight up Blues collage. With strong vocals, a nice, rounded band sound and surprisingly good mixing, it really is just an album you could throw no matter the mood. Tom Hambridge was responsible for the production, as in previous albums. The Main guitarist and songwriter, Jeff Schroedl, is a clear driving force in the band. That being said, between sax, bass, trumpet, harmonica and more, it feels a lot more full than some other 5 piece bands. The band brought the album out under the label Blind Pig Records, their main label over the past few releases.
“Dare me to do it”
This song is a great intro. It launches into a classic bluesy rhythm, making you immediately warm to the band and eager to hear more. The vocals in this song (and the album as a whole) really are a standout. The guitar, through this song, just riffs away, adding a strong texture and tone throughout. The Drums at the beginning had me a bit doubtful but, at the minute mark, they filled in and it felt like the whole song had come together. With the harmonica coming in, it just sounds right, it fills out the empty space (not that there was much). The solo with the wah is the cherry on top. This band from Milwaukee really know what they’re doing.
“Hammer and chisel”
The title track comes in hot and immediately grabs your attention. A rude, attitude filled song, the music matches the lyrics. “Dinner for breakfast, sleep when it’s light”. Unlike a lot of rock, this song doesn’t advocate the stereotypical rocky lifestyle. Instead, the lyrics focus on more attainable rebellion. I really like this message. The call and response between the vocals and guitar is another classic blues trope. The synth in the background makes the song feel more rounded and the guitar is nice and punchy. I really enjoyed this song, it more than earned its place as the title track
Conclusion
I think this is a really well polished album that wouldn’t feel out of place in the big leagues. While the band maybe hasn’t received the love they deserve, they certainly have what it takes. I’ll be keeping an eye on these guys going forward.
