It isn't often that I hear a hard rock band that I really enjoy, much less an indie one. As someone who grew up appreciating classical and lyrically creative music, much hard rock just doesn't appeal to my tastes. There are, of course, often exceptions to this "rule." I didn't expect this little album to be one of them, in fact I had been given a two song promo disc before from the Funeral which failed to impress me at all. But having listened to their full-length album, my conclusion is that Uncle Joe's Funeral (hailing from Baltimore) plays some very creative hard rock. At times reminiscent of classic King's X, at times of Blaster the Rocket Man, the only complaint I can manage to level at these guys is lack of content. With only nine tracks clocking in at under thirty minutes I was left wanting to hear more. But then again, brevity is sometimes best. Although the future of this band is in question--guitarist Jon Carroll has recently left the band--I recommend checking this recording out if you're a fan of bands like King's X, Blaster, and the Galactic Cowboys.
3.5 tocks
