SEEING RED: Melbourne four-piece Redcoats have released a superb debut album.

REDCOATS

Redcoats

4/5 (Universal)

Redcoats sound like four men whose DNA is infused with Deep Purple’s ‘Stormbringer’.

The result is a thunderous heavy prog-rock groove reminiscent of their contemporaries Black Mountain.

On their self-titled debut record there are echoes of everyone from early Rainbow and Wishbone Ash, to ’90s hard rock and stoner (think Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains).

Singer Emilio Mercuri has the pure, soaring vocal chops to meet the demands
of the genre – his voice rises and burns like a petrol fire.

The Melbourne four-piece wear their progressive influences on their sleeve during eight-minute-plus cosmic journey ‘Mean Money’, a playground in
which gifted guitarist Neil Wilkinson can demonstrate his diverse, nuanced approach.

The psychedelic cover art for Redcoats’ self-titled record. It was engineered by the great Jordan Power.

With the assistance of US super producer David Schiffman and Maitland studio engineer Jordan Power, the band has captured a balance between vintage grittiness and a clear, robust mix.

Loaded with anthems ‘Raven’, ‘Evergreen’ and the timeless classic ‘House of Luna’, this debut record heralds the arrival of a powerful and accomplished rock band on the Australian landscape.

But they won’t be our country’s secret for very long.