I defy anyone to correctly identify the country these guys are from, as this is good old fashioned southern rock and roll, heavily influenced by the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special and especially Molly Hatchet. I think the closest anyone would come would be the UK, but only if they were told that the band wasn’t from the States as up until them they will be trying to work out exactly where in Florida they are from. But, the UK is still a long way from reality, as these guys are from Hungary! Over the years, I have been fortunate to hear quite a lot of music from that country, but none of it ever sounded like this! These guys sound as if they grew up in the deep South, and that they live the life they portray, with gruff vocals (with no accent at all), loads of hooks, harmonica, great guitar, and even slide. It is only when looking at the line-up that one may think that there is more to this than one might think, as it comprises István Bencsik (drums, backing vocals), Károly Lorincz (lead vocals, guitars, tambourine), Géza Matyasovszki (guitars, backing vocals) and Balázs Megyesi (bass). Their 2014 debut album was nominated as the “best newcomer of the year 2014” by the Hungarian Recording Industry Association, and they went back into the studio to record this the follow-up after several tours, with shows in Hungary, Finland, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania.
This is the real deal, with a quartet that are tight and honed, playing music they obviously believe in. It has less boogie than some of their influences, but there is no doubt where their heart lies, and that is on the other side of the Atlantic from where they reside. This is music to put a smile on any music lover’s face, and makes the whole body move. It is powerful, melodic, and not over-sanitised, so that it always feels real and true. For more details visit their site at http://www.asphalthorsemen.com
