THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS -"Rise above it all" 

When LYNYRD SKYNYRD of the "Gods and Guns" era met BAD COMPANY their bastard child named GEORGIA THUNDERBOLT and it is a real hellraiser These days, however, the Rome, Georgia-based quintet is a critically acclaimed and internationally touring band fending off the sophomore slump with its latest album, "Rise Above It All", out on Mascot Records. .The band consists of TJ Lyle, lead vocals, harmonica, and keyboards., Zach Everett, bass, classical guitar, harmony vocals; Bristol Perry, drums; Logan Tolbert, guitar; and Riley Couzzourt, guitar. The quintet’s earthy and emotive aesthetic spans late 1960s singer-songwriter intimacy, the yearning of the blues, the mythological stories of country, and a bracing dose of arena-ready classic hard rock.

 “As soon as TJ opens his mouth you know we’re from the South.” they write on their webpage and it is half the truth. Opening track "Gonna Shine" is a Southern rocker in the best tradition of SKYNYRD, Henry Paul Band, DOC HOLIDAY, but then the guys pull some aced from their sleeves with BAD COMPANy and especially Paul Rodgers stated as their main influence at the slow burner "Rock And Roll Record", while they taking off at the hard rocking "Rise Above It All", making their mark at the excellent party opener "Ain’t Got No Money", they surprise us at the ZEPPELINesque /BAD COMPANY "Moonlight Play" and the more groovy "Crawling My Way Back To You". Then they get you deep in to the Southern traditions and fears in "Little Jim" a song that reminds me of "Floyd" by SKYNYRD till they decide to get a bit more uptempo and rocking at Stand Up and my two personal favorites "Whiskey Talkin" and "Pricetag". The album is a great addition to the Southern rock fans collection but my only and it is a strong one,disagreement is with the song selection as it starts groovy and in the middle it slows down more than someone would like, losing the momentum of the opening tracks to find it again at the end.

THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS are far more heavier, rocking than BLACKBERRY SMOKE and its up to them to focus on songwriting and stay afloat at the Southern rock revival that is happening the last two decades or countrified to get a bigger audience. In any case they have the guts and the potential and judging by their sound they could also turn to the BLACK STONE CHERRY direction. Whatever they choose,they are on the path to success.

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