In 2001 and 2002, the
Philadelphia rock scene had many of the things that
rock scenes in other cities had -- confessional
emocore bands, angst-ridden rap-metallers,
post-grunge Creed disciples, and introspective
singer/songwriters. There were also bands playing '70s and '80s
rock, but in many cases, they were cover bands whose members were 30 and over. So imagine how surprised Philadelphians were when several local youths in their teens and early twenties came along with a sound that was firmly planted in
rock's baby boomer era. All five members of
Silvertide (formerly
Vertigo) were in their teens when, in 2002, they recorded their debut EP,
American Excess, for
J Records, but they sound like they're totally oblivious to the tastes of their peers. There are no traces of
alternative rock or
hip-hop on this disc;
Silvertide doesn't sound anything like
Limp Bizkit or
Korn any more than they sound like
Pearl Jam,
Creed, or
Default. Instead, the songs on this EP are unapologetically retro, and
Silvertide specializes in the sort of gritty, dirty, bluesy, riff-oriented
hard rock that was huge in the '70s and '80s. Their obvious influences include
Aerosmith,
the Rolling Stones,
Led Zeppelin,
the Black Crowes, and
Guns N' Roses -- in other words, boomer bands whose members or ex-members are old enough to be their parents (or even their grandparents). And the Philly residents are impressively good at what they do;
Silvertide originals like
"Beware" and
"Mary Jane" aren't the least bit groundbreaking, but they're inspired, passionate, and heartfelt. If
American Excess is an example of musical recycling, it's a very enjoyable example. Fans of classic
hard rock will find a lot to admire about this solid and promising, if derivative, debut. ~ Alex Henderson
![Pulp Fiction [Music from the Motion Picture]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0008811110321_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Pulp Fiction [Music from the Motion Picture]")
![The Grand Budapest Hotel [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0018771813026_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "The Grand Budapest Hotel [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
![Let It Bleed [50th Anniversary Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0018771858522_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Let It Bleed [50th Anniversary Edition]")
