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CRITIC REVIEWS
80
GVF strut and swagger througha sweeping hard-rock extravaganza that propels them from emulators to inheritors of a rich legacy.
8mo
80
Much-hyped Michigan siblings diversify successfully on their second album.
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7mo
80
Hand yourself over to a psychedelic song of praise like Trip The Light Fantastic ... or fall into The Weight Of Dreams’ fathomless nine minutes, and this legitimately might be the next best thing.
7mo
80
There’s no denying it — Greta Van Fleet have taken a lot of flack. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, The Battle At Garden’s Gate, might just change your mind.
7mo
80
They've cleaned up the mistakes of their first album, fleshed out their atmospheres into some truly lush and breathtaking territories, doubled down on their heavy rock edge, and crafted something that is far better than it has any right to be. Bask in it without feeling any shame.
7mo
75
While there are still elements of Zeppelin throughout, the band has settled into a hard rock sound imbued with glammed-out flourishes and an endearing adventurousness.
7mo
70
Presented as the next great hope for the genre, Greta Van Fleet were bound to be mocked .... if you can pull yourself away from yet another band that sounds like Public Image Ltd. for a second, you just might realize how great they can be.
7mo
60
Though the swaggering riffage of Built By Nations and John Bonham-like pocket of Stardust Chords will draw more Zeppelin compari- sons, GVF are evolving here.
8mo
60
While Greta Van Fleet excel at erecting houses of the retro-rock holy, they struggle a bit at the basics — like memorable songwriting, and especially lyrics .... With these guys, a little self-awareness would go a long way toward making them easier to take seriously.
7mo
60
More Geddy Lee than Robert Plant, Josh Kiszka commands attention then alienates; his wail is the weak link in a group who is getting better at their period-accurate cosplay.
7mo
60
At their best at full throttle, the Michigan four-piece continue to channel 70s classic rock without restraint.
7mo
60
There's a wonderful blending of new elements throughout the record. The band have moved on to a new chapter in their careers, while still remaining true to themselves.
6mo
58
Even though Battle draws from the same playbook that made Anthem such a by-the-numbers paean, the band is in an unlikely position where they have the skills and stature, but not always the wherewithal, to mature.
7mo
50
Hemmed in by their own ambitions, ‘The Battle At Heaven’s Gate’ is an oddly contradictory experience, one that finds Greta Van Fleet truckin’ on up a one way street.
7mo
40
One nine-minute track on this indulgent second album covers almost no interesting ground throughout its bloated run time, which pretty much says it all.
7mo
40
There is entirely nothing new about the proceedings on The Battle at Garden’s Gate. And, at over an hour’s running time, what’s contained here is much too long, particularly given the slog of the final third of the album.
7mo
40
Yes and Rush now join Led Zeppelin in Greta Van Fleet's wheelhouse, to over-burdened effect.
7mo
33
For all of the complaints about the band’s shameless aping of classic rock tropes, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal if they did it with a sense of joy or excitement, neither of which is found here.
7mo
30
Greta Van Fleet seem to lack even a passing familiarity with the last four decades of recorded music on The Battle At Garden's Gate.
7mo
20
Credit where it's due, this sounds less like Led Zeppelin.
7mo
TL/DR: Bombastic, innocent, unidimensional and unbalanced at times, but a massive step up from their boring debut. On their sophomore album, the Michigan band is exploring new territories and their identity, giving glimpses of their potential in the process.
———
This is it guys. The time has come.
Not only is this my 1000th rating but I get to review an album that I was thrilled to hear.
Greta Van Fleet, the polarising hard rock band of brothers from Michigan have released ... read more
———
This is it guys. The time has come.
Not only is this my 1000th rating but I get to review an album that I was thrilled to hear.
Greta Van Fleet, the polarising hard rock band of brothers from Michigan have released ... read more
Greta Van Fleet has not only become synonymous with artists being unoriginal but being derivative of a specific corner of 70’s boomer rock that leaves a taste of a “I was born in the wrong generation” sentiment. It’s come to a point that the band’s defining characteristic is how much they sound exactly like Led Zeppelin. To be fair to them, “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” isn’t just ripping off Led Zeppelin the entire time like their last ... read more
Look, I can’t tell you it’s great, because it’s not really. But I can tell you it’s a step forward. I never thought this band’s issues ever had anything to do with them sounding like Led Zeppelin or Rush or whatever other band they’re “ripping off” because...is Led Zeppelin making new music? or Rush? No, so let them make their music. Who cares, nobody acts like this shit is groundbreaking...But man this fucking band.
They take themselves WAY too ... read more
They take themselves WAY too ... read more
The notorious Michigan band Greta Van Fleet have returned almost 3 years after their last album 'Anthem of the Peaceful Army' with their latest album 'The Battle at Garden's Gate', an album that has been teased by the band for months at this stage and while the singles hinted at the band moving away from their blatant rip-offs of a band that shall not be named, I wasn't that excited for it at all despite some enjoyment for the single Broken Bells, and that lack of excitement came down to the ... read more
This new Greta Van Fleet album... it's not bad 💥💥💥
I've always found the Greta Van Fleet hate train to be a bit undeserved. I mean, I understand why people don't like them, but it's obvious that the band has a TON of talent despite sounding almost exactly like Led Zeppelin. I'm not exactly a fan of them, but I don't despise them like it seems most do. They've had some pretty good songs, and while their full length projects leave quite a lot to be desired, this album shows a lot of ... read more
I've always found the Greta Van Fleet hate train to be a bit undeserved. I mean, I understand why people don't like them, but it's obvious that the band has a TON of talent despite sounding almost exactly like Led Zeppelin. I'm not exactly a fan of them, but I don't despise them like it seems most do. They've had some pretty good songs, and while their full length projects leave quite a lot to be desired, this album shows a lot of ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | Heat Above 5:41 | 74 |
| 2 | My Way, Soon 4:15 | 55 |
| 3 | Broken Bells 5:50 | 77 |
| 4 | Built By Nations 3:58 | 62 |
| 5 | Age of Machine 6:53 | 70 |
| 6 | Tears of Rain 3:50 | 61 |
| 7 | Stardust Chords 4:57 | 59 |
| 8 | Light My Love 4:30 | 57 |
| 9 | Caravel 4:55 | 57 |
| 10 | The Barbarians 5:20 | 58 |
| 11 | Trip the Light Fantastic 4:33 | 59 |
| 12 | The Weight of Dreams 8:51 | 82 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 3 minutes
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3w
Took me like a hundred listens of this album to notice Sam's amazing piano work in the outro of ''Tears of Rain''
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Added on: December 4, 2020