The Black Crowes - Before the Frost...Until the Freeze - 2LP Colour Vinyl LP

When the Black Crowes first album came out in early 1990, it was a record that had fallen out of time - a rootsy, swaggering, stones-meets-faces rock 'n' roll record that was at the height of hair metal -mania was released. Nearly two decades later, the band have built an extensive catalog and are hailed as one of rock's most exciting live acts, yet remain as uncompromising artistically as ever. So it's not surprising that the group decided to record Before The Frost and the accompanying album Until The Freeze live in the studio in just five nights in front of a small audience of loyal fans. The result is suitably raw and ready, showing that the band blends classic rock influences (as on "I Ain't Hiding," which evokes the Stones' BLACK & BLUE era) with their own signature thumping southern rock vibe connects.