Zach Williams and the Reformaiton

The moment you pop the Electric Revival into your CD player you will immediately be transported back to the Mid-Seventies and when Southern Rock ruled the airwaves. Not only do Zach Williams And The Reformation pay homage to the masters of the genre, (Lynyrd Skynrd, Molly Hatchet and Joe Cocker), but they add their own brand of musicianship making this a refreshing collection of tunes and not just a rehash from the past.

The 70's vibe is present throughout the disc with lots of slide guitars, pianos and traditional unpretentious lyrics that deal with everyday issues in life. The one aspect of this CD that really caught my attention is singer songwriter Zach Williams vocals. The man is fully immersed and emotionally invested in the lyrics; the result is that each of the stories he is telling drip with passion... you almost cannot help but feel what he is feeling.

Electric Revival has a mature feel to it almost as if these guys have been playing together for three decades making it hard to believe that the band was formed only a year ago in 2008. The mucianship and the songwriting on this disc are out of this world.

I really did not find any song on here that I disliked but the two songs that stood out to me as exceptional are the slow burning “Angel With A Broken Wing” and the piano driven “Take Me Home.” Both of these tunes are good examples of the powerful yet extremely expressive vocals of Zach Williams.

Bottom line, this is a really good disc. Zach Williams And The Reformation have put together an enormously soulful collection of tunes that just plain rock. Check them out you will not be disappointed - Pure Grain Audio

There are some of us who cut our Southern Rock teeth on bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot. Every once in a while a band will emerge that takes the heart and soul of those classic Southern Rock bands and makes it brand new again. One such band is Zach Williams and the Reformation.

A press release for the band says that they “sound like they stepped off a bus that’s been in time travel since 1975.” You only have to listen to a few seconds of a song from the band to realize that statement is absolutely true. Zach and his band indeed sound like those hard hitters from the distant, but never forgotten, Southern Rock past.

The reason that I bring the band to your attention is that they have recorded and released their debut album. The album has a very fitting title of Electric Revival. Filled with fantastic music that emulates those classic rockers, Electric Revival is not an album to miss.

The members of the band are Zach, Dustin (Red) Dorton, Robby Rigsbee and Josh Copeland. Zach plays acoustic guitar and does the lead vocals. Red is on bass and backing vocals. Robby plays both lead and slide guitar. And Josh plays lead guitar and does backing vocals too.

The band recorded the album at Young Avenue Sound in Memphis. The album was produced by the band and Jennifer Lee of Young Avenue Sound. Jennifer has worked with artists like Kirk Whalum, Isaac Hayes and Kim Richardson.

On the performing side of things, Zach also recruited some top talent. Evan Wilons of the North Arkansas rock band Further Down does all the drums on the album. Al Gamble is a member of both The Gamble Brothers Band and City Champs. He plays the B3 organ on this album. Rick Steff is on piano and glavinova. Rick has been a member of Lucero, played in Paris with Cat Power and played accordion on Todd Agnew’s Grace Like Rain album. Susan Marshall does backing vocals on one song. A much sought after background vocalist who has sung with the likes of Lenny Kravitz and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Susan is about to release her own new album. Jackie Johnson often times sings at the same gigs or recording sessions as Susan Marshall. Here, Jackie sings backing vocals on the same song as Susan. Someone else who has great vocal chops is Grace Askew. Not only does she have a new album out, Grace provides backing vocals on two songs on this album by Zach and his band. Jana Misener is a cellist and vocalist for the band Giant Bear. She gives her vocal talents as background singer on one of the songs here. Luther Dickinson is the front man for the blues rock band, North Mississippi Allstars. He appears on one of the songs on this album as well.

The album kicks off with a slow burner with vocals and guitar reminiscent of Blackfoot called Set You Free.

Fool’s Gold begins with some light piano. The song kind of reminds me a bit of the Allman Brothers.

I think that my favorite song on the album is Can U Feel Me. Great guitar, hot organ, solid, tight backing vocals provide Zach with the perfect background for strong lead vocals on the song.

Empty Dreams is a slower, aching lament of lost love. Decent vocals, great guitar and a bit of awesome organ that is a definite throwback to the ‘70’s.

Stronger has terrific background vocals by Susan and Jackie. The song is a slight head bopper with slick guitar and nice vocals by Zach.

Angel With A Broken Wing starts out with music like something that the Allman Brothers might have put out. Moody and aching, the guitar playing gives Zach a perfect bedrock for a longing love ballad. This song features the talents of Luther Dickinson.

Two More Days is a lament for losing a love. There are pretty decent guitar and vocals on this one. It has a touch or two of Skynyrd styling.

Without You has some light organ at the front that might remind you of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition. Then the song moves into a tight Southern Rock groove that heavily incorporates the organ. There is some pretty slick guitar at various points in the song too.

Take Me Home has some great backing vocals by Grace Askew. The song has Zach singing about the end of a life, being thankful for it and what lies ahead. Besides solid vocals by Zach, the song also has some great piano and organ music.

The album ends with Midnite Ride. The music in the song will have you scrambling to recall which band the song sounds like, It was a good song to end the album with.

Zach Williams and The Reformation seem to capture the essence of the Southern Rock experience. Every song on Electric Revival will invoke a comparison to legends of Southern Rock. To miss out on this album would be to miss out listening to the next great Southern Rock band,
- www.bvsreviews.com

“….don't look for any traces of blip-hop, hoodie-approved indiecentricity or world-beat mashups here. Instead, you're gonna get a dose of pure, unfiltered rawk like your bellbottoms-clad mama used to sing to ya as a tyke, from the iconic likes of the Allmans, Derek & the Dominoes and Humble Pie to such latterday practitioners as the Black Crowes, Gov't Mule and the North Mississippi Allstars.”— Fred Mills, Blurt



“…the band utilizes the two lead-guitar (and Williams on acoustic) attack that allowed the South to rise again in the '70s. But instead of chasing the boogie in dazzling solos, ZWR puts its trust in the uncommonly well-crafted songs and leaves it to the inviting blues-rock voice of Williams to put them across. — Wayne Robins, Billboard



“Thick with the blues and crying guitar licks, the amazing sound of Zach Williams and the Reformation’s newest release is an amazing piece of craftsmanship, complete with every little thing a record needs.”—Dino Lull, Metro Spirit



“As soon as you throw the disc into your CD player (though an 8-track might be more appropriate for these guys), it feels like you’ve been transported back to the mid-1970s, when lots of bands were serving up that wonderful blend of rock ’n roll, blues and soul, delivered with just a touch of Southern drawl.”—Jeffrey Sisk, Daily News, Pittsburgh



“If you love your southern blues then this is a disc that you need to seek out soonest. Bloody good stuff all around, not one duff track to be had.”—Andrew Ian Dodge, Marty’s Musical Meltdown



“The moment you pop the Electric Revival into your CD player you will immediately be transported back to the Mid-Seventies and when Southern Rock ruled the airwaves. Not only do Zach Williams And The Reformation pay homage to the masters of the genre, (Lynyrd Skynrd, Molly Hatchet and Joe Cocker), but they add their own brand of musicianship making this a refreshing collection of tunes and not just a rehash from the past.”—Bruce Moore, Pure Grain Audio



“….it is very rare these days that you find a true to the bone southern rock band that doesn't fuse in a bit too much country influence from here or there, until now. Zach Williams and the Reformation prove with their debut album, "Electric Revival" that true to the bone southern rock does still exist”—Jeffrey Kurtis, Guest List Magazine



“After hearing this album, anyone who ever loved the sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd will probably think they have died and gone to heaven.”—LMNOP.com



For more information and tour dates, please visit www.myspace.com/zwreformation



Publicity: Mike Farley/ Michael J. Media/ 615-885-3652/ mike@michaeljmedia.com
- Micheal J Media

The album title's instructive: this Jonesboro, Arkansas, outfit serves up a Southern rock-fueled brand of electric R&B, and in the band's intense delivery one whiffs the holy-rollin' fire and brimstone of an old-school tent revival. It's not a matter of small consequence, either; Zach Williams and the Reformation is so outrageously out of fashion as to be a genuine alternative to whatever passes as "alternative" these days.



So don't look for any traces of blip-hop, hoodie-approved indiecentricity or world-beat mashups here. Instead, you're gonna get a dose of pure, unfiltered rawk like your bellbottoms-clad mama used to sing to ya as a tyke, from the iconic likes of the Allmans, Derek & the Dominoes and Humble Pie to such latterday practitioners as the Black Crowes, Gov't Mule and the North Mississippi Allstars. Hold that last thought - NMAS guitarist Luther Dickinson sits in on album centerpiece "Angel With A Broken Wing," an epic-in-feel, waltz-time blooze featuring sinewy slide guitar in one speaker and eerie tremolo riffs in the other as Williams, possessed of a soulful, coal-black set of pipes, summons up the ghosts of Muscle Shoals while paying tribute to a fallen darlin' who still wields the power to set him free.



Elsewhere the band channels its inner Skynyrd (the Hammond B3-fueled "Can U Feel Me"), serves up some righteous, Leon Russell-styled gospel ("Take Me Home," which, like "CUFM," features lovely gal backing vox), and puts the pedal to the metal in a glorious explosion of hard-edged psychedelia ("Midnite Ride"). Throughout, there's a vibe of utter commitment on the part of Williams & Co., as if they're intent on adding an additional context to their album title: sometimes, some places, you just gotta reclaim a vintage form, damn the finger-wagging hipsters, and bring it back up and into the present. That, these guys do, in spades.



Standout Tracks: ""Take Me Home," "Angel With A Broken Wing" FRED MILLS
- Blurt

Anyone nostalgic for top quality, 1970s-style Southern Rock will be pleased with Zach Williams and the Reformation’s debut release, Electric Revival. Gritty vocals, catchy hooks, and a hefty overcoat of blues evoke the days when the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, and Lynyrd Skynyrd were ringing the airwaves of AOR radio. Comparisons to the Black Crowes are inevitable, especially with guitarist Luther Dickinson’s guest appearance on “Angel With a Broken Wing.” “Midnight Ride” and “Without You” bring back memories of the Allman Brothers circa 1973, thanks especially to Al Gamble (Gamble Brothers) on the B3 organ. “Take Me Home” is a bluesier cousin to Marshall Tucker’s “Can’t You See,” and “Two More Days” is a catchy earworm (“You need two more days to try to fix this thing…but your ‘two more days’ turned into yesterday”) with a ;hook full of snark. A casual Google finds that several band members played together previously, which explains why a group that formed in 2008 sounds so solid. Put down that copy of Sweet Home Alabama and try something new from Electric Revival. - Caught in the Carousel

There are more and more metal bands today that are influenced by southern rock, it's been a revival even though bands like The Black Crowes has been quite successful all along.
If you like today's heavier rock artists like The Answer or Zakk Wylde's Pride & Glory and want to go to the roots, you should definitely check out Black Oak Arkansas, Molly Hatchet and Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few of the classic 70's bands.
Now here's another new great band in the same genre that sounds like their debut album "Electric revival" could've been released in the early 70's.
Zach Williams and The Reformation sure pays tribute to their favorite 70's bands but with their own original songs, this Arkansas based band features Zach Williams - Vocals/Acoustic guitar, Red Dorton - Bass, Josh Copeland - Lead guitar and Robby Rigsbee - Slide guitar and drums by Evan Wilons on the album.
This is the real thing folks! - www.melodic.net