There was a time when scorching guitar solos were so prevalent in rock music they were practically cliche, when denim and leather represented the peak of fashion, when hair any shorter than shoulder length was considered the cut of a yuppie. However much I may wax poetic about the ’70s, a decade I only know from books and records, I know I’m probably holding an over-idealized vision of that time in my head. But the music of that era speaks for itself: often over-the-top but never dull, sometimes (maybe most times) rather corny but always heartfelt. Very few bands excite me more than my hard rock heroes in Thin Lizzy and UFO and Deep Purple.

With that in mind you can imagine my excitement when I first saw War Cloud a few months ago at Bender’s. Featuring gargantuan riffs on songs like “Red Witch” and “Magic Midnight,” the Oakland four-piece epitomizes everything that made and makes hard rock great, from the heavy grooves to the excellent musicianship displayed by each member. Their debut EP Hurricane is full of wailing guitars, killer drum fills and enough rockstar cool to fill the stadiums they ought to be playing. In the immediate future, however, they’ll be at the Make-Out Room this Wednesday celebrating the record’s release. If you go, be prepared to bang your head.

Andalusia Rose, War Cloud, Greg Dale & The Horse You Rode In On
Make-Out Room
July 22, 2015
7pm, $8 (21+)