It’s about damn time that Brian Wahlstrom and his piano step out from that supporting role that he’s been so underappreciated and overlooked in and leads his own group of musicians. While his 2014 solo album, released through One Week Records, was a great collection of what Wahlstrom had to offer as an artist, it left fans desiring something more. Same goes for his participation as one forth of the Scorpios and to a lesser extent, his contribution to Joey Cape’s various projects, namely Cape’s solo output.
Gods Of Mount Olympus’s debut five-song ep was originally put out as a digital only release through One Week Records last year but Bird Attack Records gave it the proper vinyl treatment recently.
The opening riff off the first song on this record, Blue Screen Light, may sound like something off of a Dragonforce record but it quickly morphs into a punky piano, guitar riff driven jam with Wahlstrom singing over these fantastically written melodies. Joey Cape comes in to interject a verse, calling to mind comparisons to Bad Astronaut. Blue Screen Light is one of 2 songs lifted from Wahlstrom’s solo album and not only does the full band treatment work with the songs, it elevates them in terms of emotion, depth and overall songwriting quality.
Cops On Saint Andrews is pulled from Scorpios second album and once again, the full, plugged in version given to us here is harder hitting, on a couple levels, then its predecessor. The piano/vocals are almost identical to the Scorpios version and it would have been nice to see Wahlstrom mix things up a little but with that being said, if it ain’t broke…
Veteran bassist Matt Riddle and Wahlstrom both played heavily in Tony Sly’s history. The former was the bassist for a stint in No Use For A Name and the latter was a band member in the Scorpios when Tony passed. So it’s no surprise that that No Use For A Name pop-punk sound leaks into the mix a little.
Not only was “Curtains” one of the best songs from Wahlstrom’s solo record but it stands above its peers here which is an impressive feat considering how delightful this release is. The back up, choir like singing, layered vocals, frantic drumming, powerful guitar solos and haunting cello elevate a track that demands repeated listening.
The one stumble comes on track 4, Admission. The song is fine, it works in context with the record but with these titan songs surrounding it just doesn’t live up to it’s brethren. More like a b-side child of Something Corporate and Counting Crows, this one lacks the originality and melancholic joy of the other four songs off this ep.
The record finishes up on a high note with the almost 90’s alt rock sounding Neverminder. This song is just one more example of the hooky melodies that this band craft so well. That cello/piano/guitar combo in the bridge brings everything to an epic crescendo which drives the song right back into the chorus. Gold.
The band plans on recording a full length in the fall of 2018 and it’ll be interesting to see if they can pull off at least double the amount of songs as this release and still keep it as fun and original as they have with this ep. These guys have crafted something unique and special with this batch of songs. High hopes for the future of Gods Of Mount Olympus.