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Track Listing: Gypsyhawk Planet Former Commander Of The High Forest Eyes Of Ibad Rebellion On The Western Shore For Those Who Love The Lizz The Bokor's Procession Resentment City Blackhaven The Rabble And The Ruled Guidance Defenders Of Good Times

Pasadena-based metal quartet Gypsyhawk released their debut full-length titled 'Patience And Perseverance' in the summer of 2010. Honestly speaking, I discovered the band only recently, but I've been a huge fan of the album and gave it countless listens ever since, and in an effort to best promote their upcoming shows, I feel almost compelled to write this review.

The title song itself kicks off this highly enjoyable album. Lemmy-esque vocals, solid rhythm section, sweet guitar harmonies and endearing guitar solos, this extremely feel-good tune has all the ingredients of the typical old-school metal we all (or most of us) love. "Planet Former" is a contrasting follow-up, a slower, more mellow tune that offers a deeper song structure and perhaps highlights the abilities of the musicians involved that much more as compared to the title track which is relatively straightforward. A prominent bass sound is the standout feature of "Commander Of The High Forest", as it gives a tremendous amount of thump to the tune. This song goes through various passages and a very Thin Lizzy-type interlude, a pure delight for anyone who appreciates good music.

The album takes quite a turn with "Eyes Of Ibad" which is a soothingly melodic tune for the most part. Besides the obvious excellence of the music itself, frontman Eric Harris does a terrific job at handling the difference in style and adjusting his vocals accordingly. "Rebellion On The Western Shore" expands on this even further but continues on largely similar lines as its predecessor and as a result, gives the center section of the album a rather sombre feel. "The Bokor's Procession" comes across as a welcome change-up, and this is just about as close they've come to Motorhead on this album. A band can never go wrong by being influenced by Motorhead. "Blackhaven", "The Rabbie And The Ruled" and "Guidance" are very enjoyable tunes as well, slow, steady and full of guitar goodness that's easy on the ears. The album closes out with "Defenders Of Good Times", a track that is relatively upbeat and justifies its title pretty well.

On the whole, the album is certainly not merely the "happy" metal it starts out with on the title track. That song was the first Gypsyhawk song I heard when I first found out about the band, and was not expecting this debut album to sound like the way it does, so I was pleasantly surprised by the effort. My favorite tracks are "Gypsyhawk", "Commander Of The High Forest", "Eyes Of Ibad", "The Bokor's Procession" and "Defenders Of Good Times". Highly recommended to fans of Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, and to fans of music that's driven by guitar harmonies.

Gypsyhawk's "Patience And Perseverance" is a delightful blend of pure old-school hard rock and a darker psychedelic flavor, and one that should find itself in the good books of hard rock and heavy metal fans across the board. Gypsyhawk has arrived, and hopefully, is here to stay.

Note: Readers in the Los Angeles area can check out the band as they perform this Friday, April 15th at The Viper Room in Hollywood. Click here for tickets and other details.