From: Chris Simmonds
Date: Friday 08 October, 2004

Heavy blues rock trio Egypt - from deepest Suffolk - may not be a name many of you know but if you are a Groundhogs fan then you will know of all the band members.

Guitarist Eric Chipulina and drummer Peter Correa were `Hogs through much of the 1990s, although Eric was on bass then, and bassist Alan Fish has been in various carnations of Tony McPhee`s bands going back almost 30 years. All three of them were together in a 4-piece line up of the `Hogs in and around 93/94 following McPhee`s stroke.

This release, on blues magazine Blues Matters! label features 9 tracks with covers of Johnny Winters, John Lee Hooker and Janis Joplin songs book ended by three Egypt originals either side.

The opening title track is a particularly impressive mid-pace rocker and it doesn`t take long for Chipulina to get his wah wah out. 12.01 has a slow, languid build up and there is an obvious Groundhogs feel and influence throughout, both in the original songs (all written by Chipulina) and in the covers of Mean Town Blues and Worried Life Blues. Eric`s vocal phrasing is taken straight from his former boss and imitation, they say, is the greatest form of flattery.

The final two tracks here, Down On The Farm and Boneshaker, are 100% class. So, not a bad effort at all, and if you take the best of the tracks from here and the prospect of some old Groundhogs chestnuts thrown in, it should make for an exciting live show. You`ll get your chance to find out when the band come to Scotland in late October.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]