As Part of our You Can't
Kill Rock n Roll series we are bringing you some of our past articles on
artists we consider part of the "Best of the New Breed"! So if you missed
your chance to discover these artists the first time we wrote about them,
here is your second opportunity!
This feature was originally
published at antimusic.com in June 2000 as the Artist of the Month.
The
Sean Abbott Band
A One Man Blues
Renaissance
I come down from the mountain to proclaim
the good news! Guitar Rock is alive and well and embodied in the new guitar
hero Sean Abbott.
Abbott's ambitious debut album Atomic Invasion
leaves no rockin blues stone unturned. Abbott follows in the grand tradition
of the blues rock  pioneer's.
From the crying blues notes of the great B.B. King to the hard rocking
Ritchie Blackmoore and Jimmy Page. With the classic rock styling of Jeff
Beck to the southern blues rock of the Allman Brothers band and Stevie
Ray Vaughan - Sean Abbott covers all the bases giving fans of these legends
something to cheer about.
The previous statement was not meant to
convey that Sean Abbott mearly mimics the guitar styling of Page, Blackmoore,
King, and Vaughan. Indeed, he brings the greatest aspects of the blues
rock of the past into the 21st century.
He just may bring about a renaissance of
the bluesy guitar God. He fills that role well with an  ambitious
debut album that will captivate the listener and inspire a new generation
of kids to pick up the guitar. From just one listen to Atomic Invasion
it
is apparent that great rock n roll will never really go out of style. As
long as there are musicians like Abbott willing to carry the craft to the
masses.
While most legends of the blues rock tradition
come from England - Page, Beck, Blackmoore, Peter Greene and Clapton. Sean
Abbott hails from the most unlikely of spots the"Great White North" of
Canada. From his home base of Toronto he has become a local sensation who
stands poised to bring his music to the ears of fans around the world.
The first step on that journey is a U.S.
record deal. That is in the making as you read this. And the Internet has
opened an entire new world for musicians across the globe. No longer limited
by radio airplay or word of mouth an artist can reach a world wide audience
with the click of a mouse. Whichever route Sean Abbott takes he is
sure to amass a loyal following among those who are sick and tired of the
limited musical ability of rap-core bands and the assembly line processed
sounds of pop bands that seem to dominate the music charts these days.
It is not only his prowess as a guitar
virtuoso that makes Sean a rock hero in the making. As demonstrated on
Atomic Invasion he is no slouch when it comes to vocals either. His clearly
unique voice conveys the white boy blues sentiment of the songs exceptionally
well. Fans of the Bluesier side of Robert Plant, the southern charm of
Stevie Ray Vaughan and the hard rocking Paul Rodgers will feel right at
home with Abbott's vocal style and sound.
Additionally, unlike with other guitar
heroes the songs are not simply vehicles designed to showcase Sean's solos
and his lead guitarist  ability.
When you pop Atomic Invasion into your CD player you will get 12 solidly
crafted songs that display an attention to detail that goes beyond simply
spotlighting the guitar work. Sean gathered together a world class group
of musicians to play on the album and it shows.
Atomic Invasion encompasses the entire
realm of the Blues Rock world. The certain crowd pleasers include the hard
southern rock feel of the title track to the classic acoustic blues of
Devil's
Pride. The mid tempo rocker Sail Away and the crying blues
notes reminiscent of B.B. King on Shade of Blue will immerse the
listener in musical Nirvana. Let's not forget the equally impressive Deep
Purple-esq sound of the instrumental Thunder Pants and the blues
guitars that take on an almost symphonic quality in Eastern Sky
that are sure to remind rock fans why the blues are the foundation of rock.
This article may come off as an exercise
in hype. For that I apologize. I am being honest when I say that from the
moment I heard the first note of the Sean Abbott Band CD I was blown away.
There is no other way to state that fact. The entire reason we have
these artist of the Month specials it to expose great new artist to our
visitors. And the Sean Abbott Band was an obvious choice for us. Use the
link below to go sample some of the tracks off of Atomic Invasion and see
if you disagree with the sentiment conveyed here.
I know I am not alone in expressing my
gratitude to Sean Abbott for keeping Blues Rock alive. The only complaint
I have - what took you so long?Want
some more?
Visit
the Sean Abbott Band web site for Multimedia, news, bio and more. Plus
you can buy Atomic Invasion online!
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