Their cover of W.A.S.P’s L.O.V.E Machine sounds more like a classic 70’s Kiss song than Blackie’s gang, Kiss flavoured 70’s tasting North American pop rock (from Sweden apparently), what is there not to like here? Märvel’s album The Hills Have Eyes, is to be “re-issued for the North American market” so says the press release someone sent to us here in London (are we the North American market?). I guess we live in a global village and The Hills Have Eyes will be re-released over there on July 7th 2017.
.
Seems Märvel have been about since 2002 when John Steen (The King), Ulrik Bostedt ( Speedo) and Tony Samuelsson (The Vicar) spent a high school exchange year in Colorado, USA. “Ditching classes, drinking beer and playing rock n roll in the garage worked out pretty fine for the three young fellas. The first vinyl ep “Marvelous” was released through the small NY based label “New York Powerhitters” and the band got airtime on several college radio stations before they left the USA and returned to Sweden with lousy grades, but high spirits…
.
Their first album, released back in 2005, “Five Smell City”, named after their hometown Linköping (known locally as the city of five smells ) was followed by an EP of cover songs, slices of Bon Jovi, Parliament, Kiss and Robyn so it seems – kind of get the idea these people might rather like Kiss. This album, Hills Have Eyes , their sixth, originally came out in 2015 and, as we already told you, is about to be released in North America via the Sign label ahead of a new album the band are said to be currently working on.
-Do you think KISS was at their peak in the 70’s? Do you miss The Hellacopters and Turbonegro? Then Märvel is the cure for your rock abstinense state the band via a tagline on their website, and yes we really should mention both The Hellacopters and the much missed Turbonegro and their muthafuggin pizza-making, as well as that classic Thin Lizzy sound and those Bad Reputation 70’s Lizzy glory days. Märvel aren’t as good as Thin Lizzy or Kiss or indeed Turbonegro of course, how could they possibly be? They do do their classic pop rock thing very well indeed though, they deliver it with attitude, their W.A.S.P cover is inspired pop rock genius, high art indeed, Märvel are a damn fine band.
.
Märvel are damn fine band, they know how to kick off an album with that opening riff on the opening track Back In The Saddle (not the Aerosmith song), they know how to dish out a metal riff or two, nothing too heavy, they do quite clearly know how to rock though, they can throw a curve-ball when they need to, they’re not always as obvious as they’re being painted here, they’ve got some Cheap Trick in there, maybe even a touch or two of Peter Frampton, mostly Kiss though and as everyone knows,,back in the 70s Kiss ruled it all. Actually that left-field tittle track is stupidly infectious (and sounds more like a Peter Criss solo album track than full on Kiss). and there goes another crafted Lizzy-flavoured riff as they ride their train in to someone’s pleasure booth, I think that’s what they said they were doing? Bring It On closes the album, another sign that not everything is as obvious as it may have first appeared, and actually, Bring It On might be the best of the six tracks on this rather recommended album. Never mind North America, when are they coming to London? This closing track doesn’t really sound like anyone else, damn fine band, famn fine album, too short, need some more! Kiss, Thin Lizzy, W.A.S.P, Turbonegro, Hellacopters, band members with silly names and masks, what more could you possible need from a band?
.
The album is released in North America via The Sign label on July 7th, been out in Europe for ages so it seems (sorry to have taken so long, d’yer mind if I sit down for a while….).
THE ORGAN 
Pingback: ORGAN THING: Five more slices of music, Fox Face, Märvel, Ka Baird, Husky Loops, Ian Chang… | THE ORGAN
Pingback: ORGAN THING: White Reaper, The World’s Best American Band, are heading this way this month, don’t say we didn’t warn you… | THE ORGAN
Pingback: ORGAN THING: The beautifully awkward, musically challenging, Yowie hit Hackney tomorrow. Other rock, chaos theories, resonance and… | THE ORGAN