01. LOLA PLAYS THE BLUES 02. LOSING TIME 03. HOT ROD 04. BEGGARS AND LOSERS 05. DANGEROUS TRAILS 06. JOHNNY LEFT THE VILLAGE 07. DANCE THROUGH THE FIRE 08. THREE ROSES 09. OUT ON THE WIDE SEA 10. BLIND LEADER 11. RIVER OF TEARS

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· reviews ·

'High Flyer' comes from beautiful Italy, originated from the ideas of the hard rock power trio BULLFROG. This excellent album is a blues-soaked album, with the retro and vintage sound of the Seventies.
Thinking of a trio like CREAM or ZZ TOP, not progressive as in RUSH, because the blues rock is clearly in the foreground. The gentlemen - Francesco Dalla Riva (bass, vocals), Silvano Zago (guitar) and Michelle Dalla Riva (drums) - of course still know HUMBLE PIE, GRAND FUNK or BUDGIE, but the most obvious are the recurring parallels to LED ZEPPELIN. The three rockers on their fifth work really get going, and celebrating the Classic Rock so skillfully that no one would think to look for their origns anywhere but but in the United States.
Fancy a small flying lesson? BULLFROG take off immediately.

streetclip.de - Italy (May 2019)
 

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The Bullfrog from Verona , national bishops of the hard rock blues with a seventies flavor, celebrate the quarter century of activity with this " High Flyer ", their fifth album, released by the American label Grooveyard Records , like the previous " Clearwater ".
We start with the remarkable " Lola Plays the Blues ", with its essential riff and the articulated central part, to continue with " Losing Time ", a hard funk with a great rhythmic drive, by the brothers Dalla Riva with bass and drums, which recalls certain things of the Glenn Hughes soloist. Zeppelin-like atmospheres for " Hot Rod ", and again a great riff by guitarist Silvano Zago on " Beggars and Losers " (which is also the title of their third album, while not containing the song!), Which results in a ride for based on the solo. One of the vertexes of the disc comes with " Dangerous Trails ", a long and varied track, a sort of mini jam that looks at the Grand Funk Railroad, with a nice solo intervention. To break the electric atmospheres, comes the murder ballad " Johnny Left The Village ", with its southern folk atmosphere, which with the final, delicate " River Of Tears " represents the acoustic part of the album and marks an excellent vocal performance by Francesco Dalla Shore. Still hard blues and funk on " Dance Through The Fire ", which smells of Thin Lizzy , and the Free that emerge decidedly in " Three Roses ", a perfectly calibrated song in the musical coordinates of the Bullfrogs.
If in the 70s the Mountain had composed a power ballad as " Out On The Wide Sea ", it would have been safely returned to their discography, a small pearl with a refrain that remains printed for a long time. Towards the end we find the lilting " Blind Leader " with hypnotic and vaguely psychedelic atmospheres, the intense central break and the almost epic finish, all best assisted by the voices of the Froggettes (Anna Bertasini and Daniela Pase), authors of great choirs part of the disc.
A record that can probably be defined as the most mature and complete of the Veronese band, with an excellent compositional level and a variety that remains always anchored to their classic rock concept, which privileges the composition and the ensemble sound with sterile virtuosity, impeccably produced by Fabio Serra, who also plays the keyboard parts here and there.
A work that confirms the excellent state of health of the Italian underground, with positive critical feedback even beyond our borders.

metallus.it - Italy (May 2019)
 

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I've been supporting the Bullfrogs since their debut "Flower on the moon" (2001), and having reviewed all their albums (the present is the fifth of their discography) I noticed that they are a bit like wine: the more they mature, the more they acquire aroma and flavor. Hard quality blues, mature and inspired by an American imaginary made of endless roads, boundless spaces, marshes and prairies, villages and railways, passionate women, whiskey and life "on the road". That the trio lives in Verona is only a geographical fact, because as everyone knows, music has no boundaries. This work comes four years after the previous "Clearwater", again for the American label Grooveyard, photographing the band in full of his artistic awareness. It starts with the excellent bluesy hard rock " Lola plays the blues ", where all the best features of the Bull Frog are already concentrated : the enveloping groove, the warm voice of Francesco Dalla Riva , the inspired guitarism of Silvano Zago and the ability to bring a touch of freshness to a style born in a past now far away. " Hot rod " adds a pinch of southern rock and the funky " Three roses ", a demonstration of the undoubted ability of the formation of divers on the subject without ever losing its identity. Hypnotic and circular "Beggars and losers ”, with a Zeppelin-like aftertaste, while the cloudy“ Dangerous trails ”is an example of a seventy-year textbook rockblues. " Out on the wide sea " is an airy and elegant semi-ballad and " Blind leader " sinks even more into the suffered roots of the blues, creating a stimulating nostalgic and introspective atmosphere. Not much remains to be added, except that for fans of classic hard rock / blues (from Cream to ZZTop, from Hendrix to Glenn Hughes' Purple) the Bullfrogs are a highly recommended listening.

Fabrizio Dr. Stonerman Bertogliatti / metal.it - Italy (May 2019)
 

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A healthy and robust seventie's sound emanates from the latest work of the Verona combo that responds to the name Bullfrog . To open the dances a robust ' Lola Plays The Blues' , where the references to the myths of the aforementioned period are massive but without being cumbersome. The personality of the band comes out great from the first notes, the only halfway between Clapton and Page proves to be very well structured. The voice excels and the groove is massive, a great piece, not by chance chosen as a single forerunner of the CD.
'Losing Time' has sounds that turn decidedly towards bluerant sounds, with the guitar giving body and substance and Francesco's voice rises to very high peaks. In ' Hot Road' the rhythm rises towards an Hard-Blues of incredible intensity and heavy riffs. The power trio knows very well in which direction it intends to go and travels its path with determination and without hesitation.
'Beggars and Losers' is in full Led Zep style and the voice once again does not betray the expectations despite the six (six !!!) minutes and broken. Great Piece! Following another gigantic track like ' Dangerous Trail' where it is hard to get bored despite the duration being well over eight minutes. Change of rhythm, a voice that never comes out of the seed, an excellent rhythm with a strong vocation for jam sessions that, really, should be really explosive. The echoes of bands like Cream , Deep Purple , the southern rock by Lynyrd Skynyrd and T and Nugent , the angry grit of Zeppelins the evergreen guitar callsJimi Hendrix but also to Clapton and Page ... this album lacks nothing.
In the tracklist there is also space for a good level of acoustics such as ' Johnny Left the Village' which recalls a certain rock with a country flavor. Worthy of note are also ' Three Roses' and ' Out on The Wide Sea' the first that, in a very original way is a bit different from the atmospheres heard so far, inserting a funky principle, mentioned but well supported that makes the piece definitely interesting, the second one brings us right back to the band's main track, with a chilling solo ...
Two more pieces conclude the album where the atmospheres of the disc are mirrored in ' Blind Leader' while it turns on a traditional ballad with ' River of Tears'. A highly recommended album, but if you happen to come across any live date and you're in the area, don't miss the explosive mix of Romeo and Juliet's great-grandchildren. There will be a lot of fun.

Gigius / italiadimetallo.it - Italy (May 2019)
 

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Even the frogs fly. If they also put talent into them, even the most extreme heights are not an unattainable goal. And the talented Bullfrog from Verona have so much of it, and have been dispensing it for some decades now on Italian soil and across the border, reaching even America with their notes. I took care of the Venetians on these pages on the occasion of the two immediately preceding albums (the third and fourth of their discography) and I return to do so with pleasure even in 2019. Controversy aside, probably a job as High Flyer, if well publicized from the American Grooveyard Records, could take advantage of the long wave of renewed interest in certain sounds raised by the success of Greta Van Fleet. No one like our compatriots would deserve a showcase of luxury, because we are not in front of people who have discovered the hard rock in the last 5 or 6 years, but who have been living it since time immemorial. Since old was synonymous with loser. Let's face it, pointing the finger at the Americans, telling them to be a fruit of the mainstream and then not supporting underground realities like the Bullfrogs, shows how the attacks on those boys is more a stance regardless (fashion) than an act of love and defense against the purity of rock. You have no alibi, High Flyer must be yours, with that sound of its own that exudes passion and love from every digital groove and that represents the genre well in all its facets. The anthemica "Lola Plays The Blues" recalls the zepelinian Rushes of the beginning, "Losing Time", as well as "Beggars And Losers", directly mentions the work of Page and companions. Deep Purple peeps with "Dangerous Trails", while the softer soul comes out with the acoustic ballads "Johnny Left the Village" and "River Of Tears". A complete and varied record that enjoys reinterpreting the different facets of hard rock, without ever giving the impression of wanting to recreate perfect copies of the originals, but only small, genuine and sincere tributes to those who made history.
Rating: 8/10

gfcassatella / rawandwild (May 2019)
 

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Sensational the new album by the Italian 70s hard rock power-trio Bullfrog, a group active in the Verona area since 1993 and returned to stores in 2018 with 'High Flyer' on Grooveyard Records.

A platter that oozes passion, in hard rock stars and stripes that don't disdain blues rock (and a little southern) really inviting, and that create an easy parallelism between the band and the music of Led Zeppelin and Cream, Mountain and Deep Purple, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Uriah Heep, Bad Company and beautiful company. All of this, with the solid and mature air of someone who has been experiencing this music for years, interprets it because he hears it, produces it because he has it under his skin, plays it straight to his heart.

So much so that, already listening to the opener Lola Plays The Blues, we ask ourselves a bit about how the hell the frontman, singer and bass player Francesco Dalla Riva tried to put so much skill and natural skill into the perfect vocal reproduction of the timbres of that time, of those immortal voices and feeling-laden that are in the common imagination as perfect representations of being rock. With Silvano Zago on the guitar that goes up in the chair like a Hendrix of modern times, displacing us with the pure old-style riffing of a Losing Time that finds in the dry beats and in all the groove of the skins of the battery of Michele Dalla Riva the final expression of his exquisitely elegant and old-fashioned being.

And then let us slip, as on the wings of a dream, in the serene nostalgia that arouses us the slightly southern rock and the Hot Rod Paul Paul, with the Led Zeppelins who greet us in the Beggars and Losers riff, and with the jam stellar of Dangerous Trails that boh, it's too good to be called in words. And so on, in the notes of Johnny Left's acoustic country rock The Village, in the festive mood of Dance Through The Fire, in the rhythmic rhythm of Three Roses, in the anthology riff of Out on the Wide Sea rock music, and on again until the very successful and conclusive Blind Leader and River of Tears, for an album that has its strong point in the variety of its songwriting, and in the skill of its composers its most obvious reason to be heard.

IN CONCLUSION: One of the most beautiful 70s hard rock recordings I've heard in recent years. And I'm not referring only to the vintage Italian rock scene, but to the world one.

I'm not kidding.

melodicrock.it - Italy (April 2019)
 

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Silver wedding with music, this is the very important milestone that the Bullfrog has reached and to celebrate the event the power-trio decided to publish 'High Flyer', released by the American Grooveyard Records in which they managed to acquire a more accentuated authority after the excellent 'Clearwater', work in which Zago and the Dalla Riva brothers had reached full artistic maturity. No longer young then, but we are talking about men in whose veins flow blues blood and are full of 70s rock to the spinal cord, and despite their small record production the Bullfrogs have always legitimately received the support of critics with rave reviews as evidence of the high quality of their products. 'High Flyer' it is therefore a compendium of everything that happened perhaps in the most creative phase of rock revisited in a personal key; Cream, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin and also ZZ Top (in the passages closest to the southern) is the broad territorial radius on which the Bullfrogs move and the warm and exciting voice of Francis is full expression of all his charisma moving with conviction and precision along the path of Silvano, author of riffs as granitic as they are intense. The climate is always full of tension, the sounds are enveloping and melodic, a very important contribution is provided by Fabio Serra who besides being the producer enriches their blood rock class with keyboard and organ interventions exalted in "Blind Leader" in which we highlight psychedelic hints, Anna Bertasini and Daniela Pase also perform very well in the backing vocals exalting the choirs. Extremely recommended for lovers of all good music without distinction of genre and subgenre and at the same time it would be interesting to be able to follow their exploits in the live venue where they are able to enhance their qualities.

hardsounds.it - Italy (May 2019)
 

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Italian based Blues rock trio Bullfrog are back with their fifth studio release, 'High Flyer'. And as they did on their previous outing, 'Clearwater', the power blues rock trio serve up a classic rock vibe of blues infused rock that echo the likes of Cream, Free, Humble Pie and Grand Funk Railroad along with solid lyrics and a very tight sound. Capturing the early 70's production feel. Ah! the glory days, when bands were stripped back to just raw, bleeding Passion! Bullfrog is comprised of, Francesco Dalla Riva (Bass & Vocals), Silvano Zago on guitar and Michelle Dalla Riva on drums. Front man Francesco Dalla Riva possess a whiskey soaked wail that stretches the corners of classic rock, and soul simultaneously along with guitarist, Silvano Zago and drummer Michelle Dalla Riva, laying down meaty rhythms and grooves thick with the appreciation of classic blues rock cut by rips of edgy guitar riffs. Bullfrog is definitely keeping a vintage torch alive through fresh blood and it translates with authority on tracks like, "Lola Plays The Blues," "Losing Time", "Hot Rod" and down and dirty swagger of soul movers like, "Beggars And Losers" and "Blind Leader". Fans of classic rock will without a doubt eat up what this trio bring to the table. I will also say this, if anyone thinks there are no truly great Rock And Roll bands coming out anymore, you are wrong! Bullfrog do their own thing while still reminding you who their influences are. They've stuck to their guns and only gotten better and for those of you who are new to the band, your welcome. 'High Flyer' is an absolute killer, and a true stand out in an already solid catalog. Bullfrog .are the real deal. Playing rock music as it was intended to be played. Play it loud, play it front to back, and get comfortable.

Tony Sison / The Dedicated Rocker Society (February 2019)
 

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Verona is a beautiful city, full of charm and history. But it is also quite far from the plains of the southern United States, where the blues were born. But there is a point of contact, at least one. That takes the form of the music of Bullfrog, trio Veronese in business since now distant 1993. But they do not make pure and simple blues, but the blues add a robust dose of hard rock seventy, becoming very attractive even to those who read these regularly digital pages. Led Zeppelin and Cream, Mountain and Deep Purple, these are some of the landmarks of the Veronese formation, which over time has developed an indisputable personality, and really worthy of note. 'High Flyer' is their fifth studio album, and is one of the best gifts you could afford for this musical 2019 in April - the album actually came out in December. If the cover artwork seems to indicate that the band does not take itself too seriously, the first notes of 'Lola Plays the Blues' are enough to understand that the Bullfrogs are damned seriously. The piece honors its name, in the name of a hard / blues with very high temperatures, with the voice of Francesco Dalla Riva that seems to come directly from the Delta. 'Hot Rod' winks at southern rock, and sees Silvano Zago's guitar go up in the chair, which is also optimally supported by Michele Dalla Riva's drumming. Led Zeppelin peep out in the riff of 'Beggars and Losers', perhaps the most immediate of a record that still has many other cartridges to shoot, from the acoustic country rock echoes 'Johnny Left the Village' - that squeezes the eye to Tom Petty and John Cougar Mellencamp to the groovy 'Three Roses', with its unexpected funk echoes. 'High Flyer' is an album full of feeling, as well as interesting ideas. A record that confirms the Bullfrog as one of the most interesting bands of this scene, and not only in Italy. To listen, even and above all live!

Sandro Buti / Loud And Proud - Italy (January 2019)
 

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The Italian trio Bullfrog is from Verona and has chosen the bullfrog as their band name. The thumb on the cover shows the thumb up and on the back of the digipak two of his buddies have wings and have been given a psychedelic touch. Whether one stands out with the blues-oriented Hard Rock with enthusiasm, must give a closer look under the musical magnifying glass. The combo is represented with their songs on some samplers that appeared in early 2000. In 2001, "Flower On The Moon" came on the market and in 2004 followed "The Road To Santiago". In 2009 they published "Beggars & Losers". The "High Flyer" predecessor listens to the simple name "Clearwater". For all records guest musicians were there. So also with the present plate. Fabio Serra plays keyboards and sings backing vocals. The Froggettes are the chord names Anna Bertasini and Daniela Pase. The tracklist has a title called "Beggars And Losers". However, this has nothing to do with the album title mentioned above, because such a number does not exist there. For the recordings, the musicians did not have to travel far. The songs were recorded in the Opal Arts Studios of their hometown.

Rapid, tuned by riffs, following the spirit of the 1970s, Bullfrog launches the disc with "Lola Plays The Blues". The trio gives air to the down-to-earth 12-stroke rock to breathe, especially during a cautious intermezzo. The combo presents compositions in which one takes his time. So there is at least one song that easily crack the eight minute limit. "Dangerous Trails" shoots off the bird. At an exciting pace, this number reflects the atmosphere of the years already mentioned and somehow it was a really good decision to win keyboarder Fabio Serra for the album, because he could already call him a fourth band member. His contributions are just great and give the tracks additional wealth. During his fast-paced Fretboard rides, Silvio Zago - sometimes with Wah Wah pedal drive - often escapes into higher spheres, scratching at the door of Psychedelic.

Bullfrog understands contrasts. After the interesting arranged "Dangerous Trails" the acoustic guitar is used for "Johnny Left The Village". By restrained, but intense rhythm, which extends to hand claps, this song is a very melodic therefore coming Country Blues. Great backing vocals accompany the Francesco Dalla Riva song. The Froggettes is also a praise. Class! The Bullfrog changes the means of transport, because for a track he climbs into a "Hot Rod". It comes up pretty well after the leisurely start of the song-starter and you have to like the heights in the voice of the singer. Again and again, the band may like tempo changes within the pieces.

At "Johnny Left The Village", the combo was already in the balladesque area. With "Blind Leader", the group enters this terrain again, but now with the sound of the electric guitar. The listener is somehow reminded of Led Zeppelin, vocally and by the arrangement of the arrangement. Vice versa here are the restrained moments of large-scale dynamics replaced. Good as well! In my opinion, Bullfrog has saved the best in the end. The beautifully intoned acoustic guitar accompanies us in the fingerpicking style through "River Of Tears". This enchants a discreetly slipping E-six string. Gorgeous!

Bullfrog has something to offer. "High Flyer" has become a varied fifth album of the band from the Italian Verona. As guests keyboarder Fabio Serra and The Froggettes leave an enriching impression and so the bullfrog on the cover picture entitled at least a thumbs up. The reviewer agrees.

Joachim 'Joe' Brookes / RockTimes-Germany (January 2019)
 

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The Bullfrog give life to another tribute to an immortal genre, without fearing to confront all the myths that are part of the long and fascinating history of rock and give lovers of these sounds a casket of strong emotions.

If the classic hard rock continues to be one of your usual listens, perhaps accompanied by a lethal dose of blues, then run to your local shop because the Bullfrog, the local power trio from the now distant 1993, have come back and arrived with this sanguigno last work on the fifth album of his discography.

We are not talking about novellas then, but people who live in blues and rock for a lifetime, with the attitude and energy to give lovers of the genre a little gem. The Veronese band of water under the bridges has seen so much, has divided the stage with legends of hard rock world and all his experience, passion and skill has poured into these eleven chapters that form almost an hour of wonders sound contained in the High Flyer title. Francesco Dalla Riva (vocals and bass), Silvano Zago (guitar) and Michele Dalla Riva (drums) give life to the umpteenth tribute to an immortal genre, without fearing to deal with all the myths that are part of the long and fascinating history of rock and give lovers of these sounds a treasure chest of strong emotions. Hard rock, blues, southern rock are enclosed in a sound that refers to images of immense stages in large summer festivals beyond the ocean, where the great American rock was joined by the Anglo-Saxon groups in search of confirmation in the new continent. Led Zeppelin, Cream, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hendrix, the Deep Purple of Coverdale and Hughes, but who knows the history of rock knows that the inspirations do not end here, as obviously does not lack the signature of the Venetian trio that puts in the field his personality. Lola Plays The Blues, the stratospheric jam Dangerous Trails, Hot Rod's Southern, Out Of The Wide Sea from the riff that lifts centimeters of goosebumps are the best moments of a timeless unmissable album.

Alberto Centenari / Metal Eyes-Italy (January 2019)
 

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We can rightly define Bullfrog today as an historic Italian band in the Hard Rock field. In business since 1993 the Veronese trio comes with "High Flyer" to their fifth seal of study. A band that has lived a lot on stage, and has breathed a lot of dust in the street to go in concert, but also with great satisfaction, have opened for myths like Uriah Heep, Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple), Uli Roth (ex-Scorpions) and many others. The trio is composed by Silvano Zago (guitar), Francesco Dalla Riva (bass, vocals) and Michele Dalla Riva (drums).

"High Flyer" is presented in a guise with the artwork by Nicolò Carozzi and eleven songs to be sciroppated all of a bang! Yes, because it is the same genre that requires it, as they say at the table, "one cherry pulls the other". I have lived the years of Hard Rock with impetus and vehemence, having been young, and I have listened and seen live so much to be able to remain satisfied, but so it never was, indeed staying on culinary arguments, I say that the appetite comes with eating.

The Hard Rock is in the blood, it flows, and when the guitars start in the opening song "Lola Plays The Blues", it shatters me inside. Examples of landmarks are quite simple, some names could be Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Cream, Bad Company, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hendrix, Mountain, some Saxons and another hundred historical bands, because this is the path.

Mid-time for "Losing Time" with a very marked Zeppelian scent, both Hard Blues and sweat.

"Dangerous Trails", more than eight minutes of pleasure, struck by the "Hot Rod" Southern Rock, and there are also more relaxed and acoustic moments like "Johnny Left The Village" and the final "River Of Tears" , but it is all the album that has numerous peaks of pleasure.

If they ask you that the genre does not exist anymore or at least does not have valid ideas, bang him in the face "High Flyer", and since you find yourself tell him that you have to do away with being amateur, here precisely ... "It flies high".

Massimi Salari / Nonsolo Progrock (January 2019)
 

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A singular album, given the times, because "High Flyer" brings the listener closer to the musicians bred to that hard rock british who was referring however to the American canons. If you know the origins of Led Zeppelin, Free or The Yardbirds you will probably understand the scope of all this. A few happy riffs at the Grand Funk Railroad and then via granitic rock melodies, melodically enamelled and sliding. All in the norm, because the Bullfrog born as a cover band with a repertoire that looked just to those names and more. Rock has been so assimilated that it becomes them. Well done, however, in executing it along the course of time, since "High Flyer" is the fifth album of Bullfrog. Witness then of a long course made of vibrations, ideas and a style that gradually becomes personal. In almost an hour Francesco Dalla Riva, bass and vocals, Michele Dalla Riva, drums, and Silvano Zago, guitar, show alongside the hard matrix, the blues and southern accents. To the three canonical instruments also the organ to strengthen and expand the musical spectrum. The trio is not a revival because it has a way of playing that is natural, in which the echo of the classics is enamel on a paint with vivid colors.

Redazione / Metal Head-Italy (January 2019)
 

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The artwork of "High Flyer" makes me smile.. also because BULLFROG (not to be confused with the same name Munich band from the early 1970s) are back with their fifth album once again playing entertaining blues rock.

The trio comes from Italy but, unlike some others who play in a style not originating in their own country, they are unrestrained. BULLFROG, in addition to their frontman, benefit from their sweeping rhythm section, with bassist Francesco Dalla Riva also singing and his brother Michele playing the drums.

Guitarist Silvano Zago has the smoky voice needed for a credible performance in this genre, as well as a soft Glenn-Hughes timbre that allows the material to go some distance into the soul realm. During 'Dangerous Trails', he proves a fine taste when it comes to a rich, but self-contained guitar sound, and given the rebellious 'Hot Rod' you can certify him a captivating sense of drama, which goes straight in the blues so few combos.

Heavy and slow are the melancholic 'Three Roses' - again with Hammond - and 'Beggars and Losers', which is has the most distinctive riff on the album. 'Blind Leader' is the epic of "High Flyer" - and, along with 'Johnny Left the Village' the influences of Led Zeppelin on the one hand and various US singer-songwriters on the other hand are obvious.

Least bluesy are the glamorous classic rocker 'Dance Through the Fire' and the short, contemplative ballad 'River of Tears' at the end.

CONCLUSION: Exquisite blues rock, once more from Europe, but sounding like from the US - BULLFROG are among those power trios whose music is always there, because the band is jam-happy as Phish or Cream as pioneers of stylistics, but also writes excellent pieces that, despite their conservative nature, are completely fresh.

Andreas Schiffmann / Musik Reviews-Germany (December 2019)
 

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Italy’s Bullfrog return and this time they are hitting the heights with their High Flyer, an album rich in the hard rock foundations of the 60s and 70s and which also cavorts with the blues. Created round the brothers Dalla Riva, singer and bassist Francesco and drummer Michelle have that intrinsic bond that only siblings can as they weave the thick and strong foundations from which the vintage guitar forays from Silvano Zago run free. With a looseness that allows proceedings to flow in the most natural style, where this trio really make things tick is by understanding that they also have to corral their intentions to be able to craft their more wide ranging tendencies into tight surges that hit with real authority. There’s a jam band feel in play at times, but Bullfrog never meander in search of their prize, instead knowing that a sound that takes cues from Zeppelin and Free needs to have real direction to find its way home.

That said the relaxed tone of “Out On The Wide Sea” rocks and rolls with an easy, honest tone and an unforced nature, quickly grabbing you by the hand and hauling you onboard the good ship Bullfrog for what is a groove laden journey. Francesco possesses one of those gritty lived in voices that both barks with intent and caresses the senses, a similarity in the forceful but likeable approach to that which The Answer’s Cormac Neeson can conjure. In less capable hands the trudge of “Blind Leader” could be rather listless but here the journey is given an uplifting pay off that stays long with you.

With the guest keyboard work from Fabio Serra adding depth throughout, the likes of “Lola Plays The Blues” finds more than enough room for Zago to stretch out and let loose and yet he never abuses that position. Instead the control the fretsmith provides unlocks the real force of a power trio; feel and groove always at the centre of the likes of “Dance Trough The Fire” and “Johnny Left The Village”. Although when the need arises he can also add a few fret flash-bombs that will satisfy those thirsty for more guitar action, leaving a more honest and rewarding path in his wake and one that still stays true no matter how many times you stride down it. High Flyer is one of those albums that never quite blows your socks off, instead warming you from the inside out and living long in the memory as it does so.

Steven Reid / Sea Of Tranquility (December 2018)
 

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Bullfrog has all the swagger and spirit of 1970's hard rock/blues bands like Cactus, Juicy Lucy, Budgie, Trapeze, Toe Fat et al. Granted most of the songs on this CD are very simple in their structure but there is enough signature changes within songs and such a brilliant presentation to their music that this slab of of hard rock muscle does not wear thin. Should you be wise enough to purchase this CD I'm betting that like me you are going to be pleasantly surprised. Long live hard rock. Long live the 70's music muscle. Long live Bullfrog.

Brent J. Lewis / Amazon Review (January 2019)
 

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