Altered Five Blues Band, Holler If You Hear Me, album cover

Altered Five Blues Band

By Mike O’Cull

Milwaukee’s outrageously cool Altered Five Blues Band gets one step closer to world domination with the release of their new platter Holler If You Hear Me. Set to break out September 3rd, 2021 on Blind Pig Records, the album was made over the span of only five days in Nashville, Tennessee with three-time Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy) at the helm. Hambridge produced the band’s earlier chart-topping album Ten Thousand Watts and has developed a musically successful relationship and workflow with the members of Altered Five that seems to level up every time they all get together. Holler If You Hear Me is an absolutely stomping good time and proves once again that Altered Five Blues Band rates among the top roots music acts in the business. The group is tight, fully seasoned, and capable of writing songs that stand tall and sound fresh, which is exactly what they do on this, their sixth album.

Working out of the often overlooked city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Altered Five Blues Band has built a huge, well-deserved reputation as a block-rocking crew with a mighty live presence and the skills and writing chops to back it up. The group was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2018 and also won an Independent Music Award and a Wisconsin Music Award that same year. Fronted by the man-sized vocals of singer Jeff Taylor and fueled by guitarist Jeff Schroedl, bassist Mark Solveson, drummer Alan Arber, and keyboardist Raymond Tevich, Altered Five has become a creative force in modern blues. Their mix of instrumental power, top-flight, entertaining songs and vocals, and a genuine enthusiasm for what they’re doing makes this bunch unstoppable.

This new set kicks off with its title track “Holler If You Hear Me,” which begins with a nice bounce but becomes a full-on rave-up once the chorus kicks in. Jeff Taylor’s voice is impossible to ignore and he leads listeners through the song with jubilation. The rhythm section flexes some big guns here, too, switching from swing to drive on a dime and locking the pocket down like a deadbolt. It’s a wonderful, upbeat party anthem that instantly shows the band at its best.

“Guilty Of A Good Time” keeps the fun moving forward with a dramatic vocal-and-guitar intro that leads into a heavy, mid-speed beat with a bit of classic rock DNA in it. It’s another song about the late-night lifestyle and the world of after-parties, hand-rolled cigars, and rhythm and blues. The band rubs the pocket just right and gives Taylor all the space he needs to tell his story. “Full Moon Half Crazy” is a tough blues/rock cut with a fearless vibe and some fine guitar slinging by Jeff Schroedl. He and Taylor come across larger-than-life and you’ll believe every second of what they put down. The entire group goes hard on this one, giving listeners an inkling of what Altered Five sounds like live. They play with a sense of rhythmic unity that makes any song they touch into a fire-starter. Every great band has it and it changes everything for the better.

“All Suit No Soul” is a funky piece of blues heaven that will activate your hips and fill you with joy as this group of sharpshooters works their way through it. Taylor calls out a game less, hollow, playboy type of no substance and it’s clear that he represents the polar opposite. It’s a wide-open jam that will pack any dance floor with happy souls shaking their bones. Other can’t-miss cuts on Holler If You Hear Me include the soulful “Leave Before I Let You Down” and the hard funk of “Fifteen Minutes Of Blame.” Altered Five Blues Band is as great as blues music gets and towers over most acts on the current scene. Put this record on and leave it up loud.

Watch “Full Moon, Half Crazy”

 
‘Holler if You Hear Me’ pre-order link 

Altered Five Blues Band website