As the true heavy metal revival makes its final act in a very long play, another style is emerging that finds new bands like Germany’s excellent Cherokee (OK, no Europe jokes!) reaching further into the past while retaining a contemporary edge. Indeed, Cherokee, Second Sun, Horizont, Hällas, and a select handful of others are going into a much hazier past by mining the sounds, vibes, and spirit of hard rock / psych rock from the late ’60s through to the mid ’70s. Cherokee, however, aren’t just a throwback genuflection. There’s a careful modern touch at play, recalling bands like Dool, Gold, Molassess, and Year of the Goat.
Formed in Cologne in 2014, the membership of Cherokee ebbed and flowed. The lineup of guitarists Simon Siantidis and Alexander Beda Maria Kleusch, bassist Fabian Albert Dey, drummer Fabian Kampa, and vocalist Laura Vesprini eventually settled. Together, Cherokee planned their attack. The group recorded their debut EP, Wakan Tanka Nici Un, in 2018 before hunkering down to write the 15 songs that make up Cherokee’s hard-workin’, attitude-givin’ full-length, Blood & Gold (Dying Victims). Indeed, there’s a bit of Thin Lizzy boogie and showmanship (check out “My Sweet Tulip”), while songs like “Il Grande Silencio” invoke images of Ennio Morricone classics. Truly, the past is alive — across several musical spectra — in Cherokee.
Says Cherokee: “We hope you enjoy our 15 handcrafted stories about love, death and all the other beautiful and ugly things that make life worth living. Have a blast and crack a cold one, or make yourself cozy and drink a tea. Or whatever else floats your boat. Cheers!”
