THE QUILL

THE QUILL – “Wheel of Illusion”

By Colonel Angus

The line between fan and non-fan can sometimes be made by the simple factors of time and place.  THE QUILL  is a band I was exposed to back in the late 90s with their self-titled record and their follow up “Silver Haze”.  Truth be told, I thought they were good but nothing really stuck.  They were (and still are) a mix of BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, and a dose of 70s hard rock and my thought at the time was “why don’t I just listen to SABBATH and ZEPPELIN?”  Well, I am man enough to admit when I’m wrong and quite frankly I have not given THE QUILL a fair shot.  Having been given “Wheel of Illusion” to review, it prompted me to sit down and “really” listen to record and that changed my perception of the whole project.

“Wheel of Illusion” starts off with the title track that has early SABBATH written all over it so much so that the vocals are recorded in a similar style.  I get a heavy “Electric Funeral” vibe from this one and the BLACK SABBATH influence is all over this disk.  Now, I’m sure you ask yourself why all of sudden would I want to listen to this when I could just dig out an old SABBATH record and listen to that instead. (Why would anybody want to listen to the same thing over and over?--Dr. M) Well, although this is firmly in that style, this record also adds bits and pieces of other 70s hard rock sounds that makes it a bit unique.  “Rainmaker” has this droning ZEPPELIN sound that also has a bit of psychedelia thrown in for good measure.  That 70s hard rock element carries on throughout the whole record which makes for a bit of nostalgia for me since I grew up during that golden time of rock music.

I like how many of the elements are not just visited once and discarded but brought back and peppered in other tracks.  That LED ZEPPELIN influence is recaptured along with this slight middle-eastern atmosphere to rally create a haunting song called “Hawks & Hounds”.  Another element that I get is early ANGEL (the anti-Kiss from the 70s) with the synth intro to “The Last Thing You Remember” that reminds me a lot of “Tower”.  That track quickly evolves into a very upbeat SABBATH rocker but that intro is just another piece to THE QUILL puzzle that I am currently enjoying.

You would be forgiven if when you first heard “L.I.B.E.R.” you thought you were going to get “Runnin’ With the Devil” by VAN HALEN but as that bass intro is over (in both tracks), THE QUILL tune goes off into a heavy rock song with OZZY style vocals.  While Magnus Ekwall has his own voice, his vocal delivery and the production make it sound like a better version of 70s era OZZY  That comparison is only enhanced by the SABBATHy doom metal that the band plays.  The album ends with “Wild Mustang” which is a long track that is all doom metal with this really great psychedelic chorus that takes me back to the early 70s rock scene.  This is the longest song on “Wheel of Illusion” clocking in at almost eight minutes but have no fear, it is not long just for the sake of being long.  The guitar work courtesy of Christian Carlsson that ends the song (and the record) is stunning and had me hitting the replay button on my player.  There is just something haunting perfect with that particular solo that makes me want to hear it again and again.  What a way to finish an album!

The other two members Roger Nilsson (bass) and drummer Jolle Atlagic complete the line-up and they are a formidable rhythm section.  Like Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, these two are a perfect fit for this type of music with everyone playing a vital role to the whole sound.  I have to give props to the production team as they managed to capture not only the sound of the band but also the sound of the 70s hard rock scene.  There is just something about this record that brought me back to that time when I was young and music was my whole life before adulthood stole that away from me.  As I continue to listen to “Wheel of Illusion”, I find that I’m disappointed in myself for not giving THE QUILL the time of day back in the late 90s when I first ran into their records. 

At the end of the day, do I listen to my old Sabbath and 70s hard rock records?  I sure do and quite often but that doesn’t mean I can’t add some new stuff into the mix.  THE QUILL definitely showcase their influences in every track but that’s not a bad thing.  They are pulling from the greats and adding their own little twist to the mix.  My recommendation is that you don’t be a fool like me and write these guys off as just another doom metal outfit.  They are much more than that and “Wheel of Illusion” is a great place to start in their catalogue.