Gary is back, and how!!!! After some years of back to the bare blues roots and some experimental work, this one combines earlier stuff with some new influences, and it tastes very good.

Opener “When The Sun Goes Down” enters like the reincarnation of the legendary Jimi Hendrix. A Faith No More-like “Rectify” follows this, with a thundering riff, loads of energy, some well-chosen hooks, and a solo sounding like a plane on the runway.

But that’s not where the sidesteps end: Gary has also dug into his own past and made a very good combination of his early fusion past (Colosseum II) with his more recent “modern” albums Different Beat and Dark Days In Paradise. These influences melt in two songs (“Wasn’t Born In Chicago” and “Stand Up”), but this time, unlike the earlier mentioned “modern” albums, also with a flavour of heavy guitar in the choruses, and very good bass- and drum work, instead of a computer.

Gary has once again found worthy partners in crime: bass player Cass Lewis (ex-Skunk Anansie) and drummer Darrin Mooney (Primal Scream) complete the power trio, which sometimes reminds of the old days with Skid Row. There is an open sound, and it sounds like a flexible atmosphere, with freedom to jam, and variety in sounds and genres, even within the songs. Even some Radiohead can be heard in “Just Can’t Let You Go”, which turns into a massive Muse-like chorus.

Gary has been listening to some more recent work and made it something of his own.

Also the oldies are not forgotten. “World Of Confusion” starts off like Hendrix’ “Manic Depressions” (magnificent drum work), with some Cream influences. This idea must have been lying on the shelf since the work with BBM.

The blues is represented by some heavy, massive boogie (“My Baby” and “World Keep Turnin’ Round”), but most of all in the impressive blues jam “Ball And Chain”. Starting off like Alannah Miles’ “Black Velvet”, but soon getting into a swampy, draggin’ and heavy blues, with phenomenal guitar work. Like Gary proved with his “Cold Black Night”, he can give the blues an extra dimension, with solos going from subtle, almost fragile, to explosive and very dirty. No blues by the book, but out of the heart, and when you hear it, you can imagine the facial expressions of the maker.

This is a very varied album, and whether it’s all that original, is debatable. Then again, what is nowadays? The combinations are well organised, and the performance is excellent. I’m not sure if the average listener will appreciate this album, but musically it’s a work of art, so if it doesn’t strike you at once, given some time and it will grow.