On their second album, Sheer Mag keep proving that raging against the system can also be a raging party.
It’s no reinvention, but there are subtle tweaks here and there for a polished record that cements their place as a kick-ass rock’n’roll band with longevity.
Building on their prior LP, Sheer Mag broaden their scope just a little more on A Distant Call while retaining the DIY grit and edgy concision that made them so arresting in the first place.
A Distant Call is an album with a sombre and timely purpose: to parse the way global-scale tragedy intersects with deeply personal pain.
A Distant Call, the Philly band’s second full-length, exemplifies their virtuosic proficiency, and sees them balance their 70s throwback sound with identity politics and personal concerns better than ever.
A Distant Call is an album with depth of production, more deliberate songwriting, and a commitment to style.
A Distant Call finds Sheer Mag growing in terms of their palette, thundering with confidence in their ability as musicians as well as their beliefs.
Each member shines, riffs abound, and Halladay's voice (a hell of a voice) confidently leads the charge. When Sheer Mag find themselves in this lane, it's pretty damn hard to deny their talent.
A Distant Call is a serviceable rock album, but one made by a confused band.
Rather than continuing to go big, A Distant Call, sees Sheer Mag setting their sights on the politics of the personal.
When bands get rock revivalism right, they sound great. Just look at King Gizz, their most recent album drenched in the thrash metal of the 80s. But what makes that album so enjoyable is that it is distinctly King Gizz, a band with a clear identity. Sheer Mag has none of that. Though each track is cleanly produced and the instrumentals skilled, they have no real character or charm. Even though the lead singer obviously has vocal talent, her shrieks and yelps are jarring and at times pushing on ... read more
Solid 70s rock revival album. Love the exploration of political concepts in this album and the vocals that go from pop to screams. Nothing revolutionary but an accessible modern take on the genre and didn't think there were any skips!
Favorite track: Steel Sharpens Steel
Sheer Mag is a Philadelphia based band that combines 1970’s inspired hard rock and punk into a combination that makes them stand out in the current musical landscape. They gained traction throughout the release of a collection of well received EP’s and a solid album debut with Need to Feel Your Love in 2017 and now we get the follow-up A Distant Call. Citing their influences above, you’d expect to hear hard hitting riffs and pretty solid guitar solos, which are all undoubtably ... read more
Solid 70s rock revival album. Love the exploration of political concepts in this album and the vocals that go from pop to screams. Nothing revolutionary but an accessible modern take on the genre and didn't think there were any skips!
Favorite track: Steel Sharpens Steel
Sheer Mag is a Philadelphia based band that combines 1970’s inspired hard rock and punk into a combination that makes them stand out in the current musical landscape. They gained traction throughout the release of a collection of well received EP’s and a solid album debut with Need to Feel Your Love in 2017 and now we get the follow-up A Distant Call. Citing their influences above, you’d expect to hear hard hitting riffs and pretty solid guitar solos, which are all undoubtably ... read more
A simpler band would have fallen into the pitfalls of parody by this point. Instead, on A Distant Call, Sheer Mag goes deeper. There are 5 good bands on earth and Sheer Mag is one of them.
1 | Steel Sharpens Steel 4:02 | 75 |
2 | Blood from a Stone 2:37 | 75 |
3 | Unfound Manifest 3:36 | 75 |
4 | Silver Line 3:25 | 75 |
5 | Hardly to Blame 3:07 | 75 |
6 | Cold Sword 3:28 | 75 |
7 | Chopping Block 2:32 | 75 |
8 | The Right Stuff 3:14 | 75 |
9 | The Killer 4:43 | 75 |
10 | Keep on Runnin 3:07 | 75 |
#32 | / | Rolling Stone |
#84 | / | Noisey |