Chantel McGregor - Bury'd Alive - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Bury'd Alive from Chantel McGregor and it's a heavy power house blues rocker. Opening with lumbering, Take The Power, Chantel McGregor opens the show with a wall of sound starting with her power chords and solid vocals and backed by Colin Sutton on bass and Thom Gardner on drums. Opening the guitar barrage, McGregor wield her guitar like Thor's axe. Very heavy. Another track with a malicious attack is Caught Out with it's metalesque guitar riffs contrasted by McGregor's rock ready vocals. Sutton really works the bass with power surges and Gardner's drumming technique is tight and powerful. Very Strong. Eternal Dream is an elaborate production, using dynamic tension between the sweetness of McGregor's voice and light acoustic guitar to a heavy, fully loaded, searing, electric guitar with just the right distortion and blues rock riffs over a thumping bass line and drums. Very nice. I particularly like Lose Control for a radio track with it's tight melody and solid guitar riff. Inconsolable is my definite pick on the release for showpiece. Clocking in at over 12 minutes, McGregor sings and plays acoustic guitar over a super bass line by Sutton before starting to work a great blues riff. McGregor has the crowd in her pocket as she pulls out all the stops tearing this crowd a new one. This track is really impressive. Straight forward blues rocker, April is another great showcase for McGregor's guitar flair with a pretty nice long streaming guitar solo over and great bass line by Sutton and a great rhythm by Gardner. Wrapping the release is Freefalling,  a super guitar boogie rocker with contemporary metal like driving guitar riffs. I hear solid rock bands with strong female vocal leaders from time to time and occasionally a solid rhythm section paired with it, but it's a rare commodity to hear both paired with a guitar player who can open the throttle at any time and let loose the wrath of God. Very cool. 

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Redhouse - Chantel McGregor

Realising at an early age that if you picked up a guitar you got attention, especially from her dad whose guitar it usually was, it was inevitable that she would get one of her own. So at the ripe old age of three, she got her first guitar, a half size acoustic.
At seven she started lessons but soon noticed that not only did the electric guitars have a smaller neck, making them ideal for little hands, but they could also make a lot more noise. After more lessons and a lot more noise, and at the grand old age of eight she became the youngest person in the country to pass a Rockschool grade. More lessons followed and with them came the realization that if you want people to listen, you need to sing!

So it came to pass that at the age of twelve she arrived at the famous Melborn Hotel in Bradford to play and sing at the weekly jam session. Helped and encouraged by all the musicians, she developed rapidly into a incredible rock and blues musician.

Now described as a "prodigy", a visit from a major label soon followed and at fourteen she was told "great voice, but girls don't play guitar like that!" by the head of their A&R. Their advise to change styles because boys would be intimidated was met with an attitude of "that's their problem! I'm not changing!" Singing and playing on national television and radio soon followed.

A meeting with two renowned producers soon lead to a change in direction from live performance to recording and writing. This coupled with exams and advice meant an end to live performing for most of the last four years. As seems common in the music industry, once lawyers get involved, things can get messy!!!!!

Now qualified at grade eight and the holder of the prize for outstanding musicianship at the world renowned Leeds College of Music for 2006/2007, a chance meeting with a well known local band saw Chantel back at what she does best! - singing and playing with feel to die for.

This has now lead to the formation of the “Chantel McGregor Band” a rock/blues trio, with Alex Jeffrey on bass and Martin Rushworth on drums.
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