After a three year break, British heavy rock band Inglorious are back, on a new record label and with their new album V. Still led by their charismatic and powerful frontman Nathan James, and joined by original bassist and main co-writer Colin Parkinson, plus newbies in the form of guitarist Richard Shaw and drummer Henry Rogers. After seven years of non-stop touring with bands such as The Winery Dogs, Steel Panther, The Dead Daisies, Last In Line, as well as their own international tours and festival appearances, recording four original albums, a live album and a covers album, everyone in the last incarnation had felt it was the right time to take a break.
In the meantime Nathan, who has been singing professionally for 20 years, performing with artists such as Ginger Baker, Uli Jon Roth and The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has appeared in Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War Of The Worlds, Steve Steinman’s Vampires Rock Symphonic, 80’s Classical and Zeppelin Symphonic. Nathan also fronts Supergroup Iconic, under the Frontiers roster featuring Michael Sweet, Joel Hoekstra, Marco Mendoza and Tommy Aldridge – so he’s not exactly been idle!
Colin is happy to be back in the fold, having co-written and released the first three albums with the band: Inglorious, II and Ride To Nowhere. Richard brings new musicality and fresh energy to the band, being best known for his work with English extreme metal band Cradle Of Filth, as well as NG26, Emperor Chung, and Plague Of Angels. Henry is a long-time friend of Nathan, and has previously played with Touchstone, Mostly Autumn, Mia Klose, and Mark Kelly’s Marathon, earning accolades such as “Drummer Of The Year” in Classic Rock Prog Magazine and Rhythm Magazine’s list of influential progressive drummers.
Henry Rogers – drums, percussion
Richard Shaw – Electric guitars
Nathan James – Vocals, backing vocals
Colin Parkinson – Bass guitar, /acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keys, percussion
It’s been a bit of a revelation the way old buddies Nathan and Colin have got back together: Nathan say “In the summer of 2023, I sent a message to Colin and asked him if he wanted to come for a pint. A few meetings and writing sessions later, we had more than an album’s worth of great material and I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every second of creating this album with him and the new line up. Colin has always been a great songwriter and over the years we’ve both matured as artists, writers, performers and people. This is going to be a great year for Inglorious and I’m excited to welcome Colin back and to share this new music with everyone”. In return, Colin added: “I am extremely happy to be returning to Inglorious after a while away. It’s the right time to get some kickass new music out there for the fans and to focus on the future. Writing and recording with Nathan again has been the easiest it’s ever been; it all flowed so well. We’ve all played and sang our asses off on these songs and I know the new album will not disappoint!” – So lets see!
Produced by Colin, V has been mixed by Tony Draper, who also worked on Inglorious II and Ride To Nowhere, so it’s easy to assure fans that the new album retains the band’s signature sound while exploring new heights. You’re left in no doubt about this as the opener Testify swings in, full of swagger, bluster and a bubbling riff/bassline that reeks of Deep Purple Mk.III era. It’s simply got lots and lots of guitar, great vocals and a sound that makes you think there’s a chunky organ in there somewhere – all in all a very impressive start, you can tell Nathan’s enjoying himself! Its followed by Eat You Alive, a huge stomp-along riffage-show that again has that hint of Burn-era Coverdale. This track has relentless pace and energy, but I have to say I was most surprised by the sheer virtuosity of Richard Shaw’s fretwork.!
There’s no let-up with Devil Inside, another hard hitting slab of heavy rock with lots of big melodies – Nathan really letting rip here, and both drums and bass pile-drive the beast along. There’s a hint of Metallica in a direct and very catchy tune. Next up is Say What You Wanna Say, almost a sort of punky three-chord thrash, quite deliberately accentuated by the vocal delivery. Full of snarling anger, there’s clearly a tale behind this one! Believe follows this, changing the mood completely. It’s a gently pastoral ballad, I’ve never heard Nathan sing so …sweetly!…as this before, then it builds into a sort of quite beefy slice of mid-Atlantic Arena rock. This will be a real crowd-pleaser live, as Nathan swoops between smooth and soaring – such strong vocals, admirably matched by the rest of the team – and this really does feel like a tight team.
Stand rolls in with a wonderful bass-driven vibe – powerful, passionate but precise in its tautness. More big riffs and an even bigger sing-along chorus add to the swagger on display, augmented by a nicely inventive solo that builds to the conclusion. In Your Eyes continues the general “rumble”, Richard Shaw’s guitar work demonstrating his trademark “rambunctiousness” – sums his style beautifully! We then have another complete contrast with Silent, this little beauty starts so delicately…before a whopper of a riff makes its presence felt. The track itself is hugely tuneful, switching between laid-back semi-acoustic sweetness and big, big chorus and riff. A really tasty guitar-led bridge section with a lovely tone to it then introduces the Big Chorale Ending before a sweetly sonorous sign-off.
End Of The Road then ups the energy levels, big hints of Whitesnake in its arrangement, and another powerhouse display of Nathan’s vocal prowess. At one point, his howl morphs into a superb solo from Richard, very nicely done! This one ends surprisingly quickly somehow? The same can’t be said for the sets closing track Power Of Truth – perhaps the strongest track on the album. Another acoustic intro combines with balladic vocals, Nathan again displaying a smooth control of a range of singing styles here, reminding me very much of Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari (aka LEF) from the very wonderful O.R.k. It then leaps into a whopper of a riff with big flavours of Chris Cornell’s Soundgarden and Audioslave, rumbling along with more superb bass work from Colin Parkinson. The chorus is just huge, the whole thing being a really strong piece of contemporary heavy rock. The O.R.k comparison returns as the song fades away – coming from me that’s a real compliment!
Okay, it has to be said that Inglorious set their stall out musically on their debut album and perhaps haven’t strayed too far from that since. But that’s no criticism, they consistently deliver high class heavy rock and this album is up there with their best. Richard Shaw has definitely brought something extra to the party with a nice mix of solos and riffs that are always tuneful whilst remaining heavy. Nathan and Colin clearly bring the best out of each other and “newbie” Henry on drums builds a solid bass with power and precision, again perhaps bringing the best out of Colin’s bass. The album as a whole is full of tasty riffs, big tunes, big choruses, and big performances all round. Inglorious are still right up there as a top-level rock band – and I bet their forthcoming live performances will be electrifying!
