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Blues Critic 
The online home of Blues and Southern Soul

With a Nordic-esque name like Bluessmyth 
I was expecting Heavy Metal rather than Blues/Rock 
with a hint of Prog. Well they are heavy. 
"Bluessmyth" (***) opens with three thunderous jams in a
 row- the instrumental intro "The Duel", piledriving Blooz n'
 boogie "Rollin Penny" replete with slide guitar and a throaty 
growl (singer Chris Yaholkoski), and the hard rollin' 
"Bring It On" but there's more than mere muscle here. 
The disc's centerpiece is an epic three-part suite called
 "The Story of Emmett Till" based on the true story 
of Emmett Till's brutal murder in 1955 that 
mobilized the civil rights movement. A very unpredictable
 and impressive arrangement. The piece gives the band a 
chance to flex: Chris Yaholkoski on guitar, Calvin Becker on 
drums and Jason Yaholkoski on bass. Another highlight
 is the Bluesy ballad "Take The Road", which could give 
the Black Crowes a run for their money.