Artist: Glyder 
   Title: Playground For Life
   Label: Bad Reputations Records

After a reasonably successful debut album, this quartet from Wicklow, hailed in some quarters as the new Thin Lizzy, the question on most lips now is, can Glyder come up with an even better second LP to keep the momentum going?

On first listening to ‘Playground For Life’ the answer is a resounding ‘YES’, as the bar had been raised for the band and they’ve flown over with no problem.

There is a more mature feel to the album and they seem to have stamped their mark on the new songs which may now blow away any comparisons to that Irish band from the 70’s.

There’s a harder, rockier feel to them then before, as in ‘Gambler Blues’, with its thumping drums and raunchy guitars that are as tight as a bunch of pensioners on a coach trip.  ‘Sweets’ is also a fast rocker of a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early Maiden album.

I’ve always thought that Tony Cullen’s voice sounded a bit on the casual side, but the more you listen to him, the more it grows on you and it does actually suit what the band are coming up with.

Title track ‘Playground For Life’ just proves how much the band have evolved since their first album as its got a slightly darker edge to it, the guitar work quite reminiscent of Metallica in their ‘Black’ album days and Cullen repeatedly asking ‘.. Is it really me they’re after?...’.  It’s definitely not a song for someone who’s in a feel good mood at the time of listening.

There are three really good slower tracks on the album, ‘For Your Skin’, all slow and bluesy guitars by Bat Kinane and Pete Fisher, authoritative drumming from Davy Ryan and Cullen’s vocals couldn’t sound any better, well suited to this song.

‘Sleeping Gun’ is a very laid back sounding track, probably the lightest song they’ve done to date with a neat touch of keyboards and prominent bass hooks throughout, before driving guitars burst in midway through totally changing the song then reverting to the laid back sound to finish. Smashing!

‘Over And Over’ brings back the rockier side, again pounding drums and dual guitars going hell for leather, the whole song at break neck speed before the final track, the last "slowie" ‘The Merrygoround’ taking things down a notch, all reverberating guitars and powerful bass again which together has a very late 60’s – early 70’s rock sound to it.

Rumours are that even Phil Lynott’s mam likes the band, which will be massive feather in their cap and on evidence of this LP it’s no surprise. If possible I’d advise anyone go see them live as you won’t be disappointed.

Review by Bob Baldwin.

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