Mad Painter’s unique brand of organ-fueled retro rock recalls the work of bands such as Deep Purple and Uriah Heep during their 1970s heyday. The Boston-based five piece is the brainchild of songwriter and conceptualist Alex Gitlin and his vocals are varied and always compelling. He is capably backed by first class cadre of top Boston-area musicians on the band’s most recent single “Rock and Roll Samurai”.
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It isn’t music for everyone. No music is. Mad Painter’s past releases illustrate that Gitlin has a diverse vocal talent and he embraces his theatrical tendencies here. It may grate on some listeners while others, arguably many more, will hear its appeal. He’s hanging with each word, there’s no half-measures in the way he tackles “Rock and Roll Samurai”, and the band responds accordingly.
The organ playing is particularly exceptional. It illustrates how the band understands the sound they are aiming for and how it can be reclaimed for a new generation. The shared reference points are abundant, without a doubt, but labeling Mad Painter as a tribute act would be simple-minded. Mad Painter is performing and recording original songwriting rather than turning out covers of “July Morning” or “Highway Star”. Gitlin and his bandmates are believers in the idea that this venerable form remains an useful vehicle for conveying their music.
The song’s construction is especially tight. Each passage resolves itself nicely and the interplay between the musicians has a live quality despite being a studio recording. The vocals, especially, possess a raw and unbridled throatiness, blood and gravel, that helps push “Rock and Roll Samurai” to a higher level. It bristles with a genuine attitude.
They have made a name for themselves under an assortment of guises and lineups. Mad Painter has a configuration and sound that, at last, hits listeners as immediately identifiable “Rock and Roll Samurai” and the band’s recent preceding output shows a unit with an artistic vision in full bloom, confident, and forging their own path with the style. This capacity for realizing their potential means there’s literally nowhere Mad Painter can’t go.
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The music of that generation has a lingering, inestimable effect on music today. Many bands of that era, powered by Hammond organs of various stripes, are long since Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Several of those bands still command large audiences in the United States and abroad. It doesn’t enjoy the same widespread commercial and street clout as in days gone by, but Mad Painter doesn’t care and nor should you.
“Rock and Roll Samurai” is a song from musicians who love what they do. It leaps out of your speakers. They are responsible for writing, recording, and performing a track full of theatrics and drama. It is entertaining as hell to boot. It isn’t just devotees of this particular brand of hard rock, however, that will appreciate Mad Painter’s talents. Music such as “Rock and Roll Samurai” burns with such unabashed individuality that you can’t help but be drawn into its world and leave craving more.
Heather Savage
