Bandolier Kings - Welcome to the Zoom Club (A Tribute to Budgie)

Budgie are one of those unsung bands from the 1970s. They wrote a big list of classics that you may know or may have heard. Probably not the original. Even though important bands as Saxon made covers of their songs Budgie are the band that everybody knows a song but doesn’t know who originally recorded it. Funny thing. Bandolier Kings are a project of guitarist Janne Stark who is a huge fan of the band. Janne gathered a bunch of his related musicians including Budgie’s drummer Steve Williams and shared guitar solos with Budgie’s guitarist Tony Bourge, Bow Wow’s Kyoji Yamamoto and Michael Nord Andersson to mention only a few. Quite a team I must say.

Well, what to say about an album like this. Budgie are Budgie, man! A legendary unsing band that most Metal bands must pay all the honors and respect possible. If you got interested listen right away first track “Breadfan (Rocking Man)” and second track “Crash Course In Brain Surgery” paying attention to the incredible guitar riffing full of groove and energy. Do they not remind you a lot of modern riffing? Yeah, sure they do. Lots of famous Metal bands hail Budgie and list them as an important reference.

Tribute albums like this were like a plague in the late 1990s early 2000s. The difference is that they used to get a bunch of unknown bands to honor their favorite bands. The outcome was most of the time okay. Sometimes the team was made with famous bands and musicians. It was a gold mine. Unfortunately – or the opposite -, as each formula, people got sick and tired of them. Bandolier Kings opted for the most respectful way of making it; recording the songs as loyal to the originals as they could. The outcome I must say as fantastic. It’s Budgie, but it isn’t Budgie. You know what I mean. Well, from where I’m standing I’d rather listen to an album like this. Versions could result in a disaster as the dreadful Nazareth’s version of Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine.” They should’ve been fined for doing a thing like that. But not “Welcome to the Zoom Club (A Tribute to Budgie)” whose thirteen Budgie’s classics are very well represented.

My tip is; if you don’t know Budgie and want to get a hold on them, “Welcome to the Zoom Club (A Tribute to Budgie)” is a great start. Win-win situation, two birds-one rock because you’ll also get to know guitarist Janne Stark and his gang.

Budgie “Welcome to the Zoom Club (A Tribute to Budgie)” will be released on January 24th via Grooveyard Records.

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