Northern Irish rock band Screaming Eagles have returned with a ballsy follow up to their acclaimed debut Into The Flames. This time their have tempered the Antipodean influences that were a tad too dominant in their first album and come back with a record that has fire in it's belly and rock in it's heart. Ready For the Fall, the album opener has a gutsy intro which draws you in from the opening bars; Chris Fry's vox are clearly stronger than before and Adrian McAleenan's guitar work is bluesy and clean. This track is merely a warm up for what is to come. The air raid siren and grungy dropped D feel of Save Me is really when the action starts: It's aggressive, heavy and full of the hallmarks of a classic rock tune with an epic rolling bass line from Ryan Lilly. Although the rest of the album doesn't returns to the dark and dirty sound of track 2 until Streets Of Gold at track 8, it's a great ride to get there. Get Out While I'm Ahead and Chase You Down are particularly notable tracks. 27 Club also boasts some tremendous musicianship from the NI rockers and ends the album with some soaring vocals and guitar work.
With this release it really feels as if the Screaming Eagles have become more comfortable with their sound. Moving away from the AC/DC influence has enabled the band to spread their huge wing span to offer a terrific follow up to a pretty impressive first album. Frankly this new album blows the debut out of the water. Stand Up and Be Counted should do just what it says and place the band right up there with alongside some of the most exciting bands in modern rock.