The Heavy North are back, with their first release since 2024’s live album, Fire In The Furnace (#2 in the official Jazz and Blues album chart) and first new music since their second album Delta Shakedown.
Put simply it is worth the wait. The new single, Heavy, lives up to its name and sees the Liverpool 5-piece (excluding former keys player Ste Penn, who features on this track), show exactly why they have built a reputation as one of UK’s most ferocious blues-rock outfits.
We are met with a wall of pounding drums and gritty, swagger-soaked guitars, that sees the bands trademark fusion of blues, soul and hard-edge rock come to the fore. Thick, fuzzy keys snake through the mix, while duelling guitars spark and snarl with intent.
Jack Birch’s screeching slide guitar is a real highlight and wildcard moment and comes through the soundscape with a sharp electrified edge, giving the song a fresh modern twists elevating Heavy from being just another blues-rock stomper, turning it into something more gripping.
And then there’s Kenny Stuart’s vocal. Anyone who has seen The Heavy North live will know that Kenny’s vocal is quite simply outstanding.
On Heavy, his vocal doesn’t just sit on top of the track, it commands it. It’s powerful and soaked in conviction, with every line delivered like it matters. It’s backed brilliant by the layered harmonies of Molly Fryon, Rosalie Galvim and Jose Ibanez, providing the song with a gospel energy. It will give you goosebumps.
Behind it all the rhythm sections is relentless. New boy George Favager (bass) and Mark Rice, lock in with with a precision that gives the track its backbone, holding everything together, whilst providing the other instrumentals and vocals to take centre stage. The rhythms are tight, heavy and impossible to ignore.
This is what a return is supposed to sound like. Bold, unrelenting and dripping in soul, Heavy, allows The Heavy North to reaffirm their place in the UK blues rock scene. This is a track that demands your attention and refuses to let go.
Heavy is released on Friday 1st May and can be pre-saved here.
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