Marseille – Unfinished Business
Formed in 1976, Liverpool's NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) band Marseille enjoyed success touring with the likes of UFO, Judas Priest, Ian Gillan, Nazareth and Whitesnake as well as helping to fill stadiums across USA and Canada. With guitarist Neil Buchanan (Presenter and Producer of the Bafta Award winning TV show 'Art Attack!'), the band had brief chart success in the early 1980s.
After 26 years the band are back together and have released the album 'Unfinished Business' as well as just announcing a major headlining UK tour. Joining original founding members, Neil Buchanan and Andy Charters, are Nige Roberts (vocals), Gareth Webb (drums) and Lee Andrews (bass).
The album opens with the title track, 'Unfinished Business' which is totally and uncompromisingly heavy, this sets the listener up for what's to come on the rest of the album. The sound is fresh and deep, the new lineup injecting a new lease of life into the band. The classic rock theme continues throughout with high energy-fuelled dual guitars and relentless rocking tunes.
The intricate 'Blown It' is an interesting piece with some fine playing and mixtures of moods and effects. There's power galore but this is not detrimental to the melodic playing and excellent voice of Nige Roberts. They close out the album with one of their strongest pieces, 'The Game'. Here, the basic riffs and drums are enough to successfully drive you along and the twin guitar break fits in seamlessly.
This is in your face rock that the band has got down to a fine art. The writing is clever and the arrangements and delivery are outstanding. It's difficult to imagine what the band may have done and what notoriety they may have achieved without their very lengthy spell out of the limelight. I should imagine that they would have been amongst the elite of British and International rock. A great band and a high quality album that is sure to appeal to new listeners as well as Marseille's old band of followers.
Marseille are back with a bang and will give those new pretenders to the rock throne more than a run for their money.