Following the mixed reception of its first studio album “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” in 2018, rock band Greta Van Fleet (“When the Curtain Falls”) immediately began composing music for its next album. The band, consisting of brothers Josh, Jake and Sam Kiszka on vocals, lead guitar and bass guitar, respectively, as well as Danny Wagner on drums, took inspiration from their experiences while touring, thereby opting to include elements of music from other countries in order to help it develop its own unique sound. Its efforts led to the composition of a second album, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate.” Although it features an elevated version of Greta Van Fleet’s signature ‘70s-esque sound, in addition to showcasing the awe-inducing vocals of Josh Kiszka, the album also proves that the band still has some work to do in terms of developing its own identity.
Since the release of its first EP, “Black Smoke Rising,” in 2017, the band has been recognized for some similarities to the ‘70s rock band Led Zeppelin (“Stairway Heaven”), thus resulting in mixed amounts of praise and criticism. That was especially the case with “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” which some criticized due to its supposed lack of original sound. Although “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” shows that the band has made progress as far as finding its own voice, its ‘70s hard rock sound and recurring elements of fantasy and spirituality may garner similarly skewed responses due to how closely it seems to resemble the works of past artists.
On the other end of the spectrum, those who are willing to look past the familiarity of the album’s music and themes may be delighted by the band’s retro sounding compositions, in addition to the brilliant usage of Josh Kiszka’s vocals. In songs such as “Heat Above” and “Broken Bells,” the young singer amazes listeners by reaching notes and octaves that were unattainable by even Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, who Josh Kiszka has often been compared to due to his similar sounding voice. In songs such as “My Way, Soon,” Josh Kiszka’s vocals are not the only elements deserving of praise. Bolstered by the performances of the rest of the band on guitars and the drums, songs such as this provide for a fast-paced, fun hard rock experience which act as a nice palate cleanser between the albums slower and deeper songs, such as “Age of Machine.”
Aside from its sometimes familiar sounds, the only other issue with “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” is the lyrics of its songs. Though the album’s four main singles prove to be memorable for both music and lyrics, the rest of the album’s songs seem to be entertaining only because of their melodies. Given the amount of time and focus that Greta Van Fleet put into its attempts to develop its own distinct sound, the band’s pursuits may have come at the expense of its lyrics, which for many songs seemingly adhere to similar ideas and themes. As a result, many of the songs featured may sound the same to some from a lyrical standpoint, despite being different musically.
Given that the band has only produced two studio albums thus far, it is understandable that Greta Van Fleet still has some kinks to work out before it reaches its full potential. Since its formation in 2012, the band has shown a great deal of promise by reviving the classic ‘70s sound that many rock fans have been pining for new bands to produce. As it keeps improving, its subsequent albums could help develop it into a rock heavyweight.
Image from Greta Van Fleet via YouTube
