Anthem of the Peaceful Army is no more than a glorified cover album

When Greta Van Fleet first emerged on the scene I was stoked. I sent their album to my family and friends, “These guys sound just like Zeppelin. You have to check them out.” Maybe this was the band that was finally going to squelch the mindless stream of Top 40 pop that litters today’s music scene and bring rock’n’roll back to the mainstream. Unfortunately, this was not the case. It’s not to say that the young band isn’t talented, and not to say they don’t have potential, but their debut sounds like nothing more than just a glorified classic rock cover band.

From the first track to the last, the album was thoroughly unimpressive. After it ended I was left with the draining feeling of mediocrity; perhaps my own hopes and aspirations set me up for disappointment , but there was next to nothing that made Anthem of the Peaceful Army distinguishable or noteworthy. “Age of Man” serves as a strange drug-induced introduction, and “Lover, Leaver (Taker, Believe)” matches every track on the album but serves as the quintessential “I’m heartbroken and angry” track. But even that failed to rile me up.

Each track began to bleed together after the second song. The lead vocalist Josh Kiszka has an impressive range and can scream like no other, but he fails to explore his own range and ability. The album’s single, “When the Curtain Falls,” acts as the cheaper “Immigrant Song;” Kiszka wails throughout the entire track but it never really builds to anything.  He focuses on the screeching vocals to carry him through the album, but I would have been more excited by variety and depth. Plus, if he believes that his voice and methods will last past his twenties at this rate, he has something else coming to him.

The musicianship matches with the blandness of Kiszka’s performance. All tracks but “Anthem,” which features an acoustic Woodstock-esque vibe, focus heavily on power chords and a seductive guitar lick or two in the chorus. The drums bored me the most. Maybe because the band sounds so much like Zeppelin that I found myself hoping for a ten minute Bonham-esque solo to disrupt the structure of the album. However, the drums just blended into the background and came off spineless.

Anthem fails to even try to create anything unique. It’s almost as if the young musicians opted to play it safe and follow their dad’s orders. We get it, you like classic rock, but for the love of god, you need to sound like you, not just your idols.

It’s clear I’m disappointed with their debut. I almost felt bad for not liking the album because I want these guys to succeed. They’re undoubtedly talented and have the chops to make it, but I blame its dullness on the band’s inexperience. Perhaps the project is a necessary step before the band truly discovers their own sound, but if these guys want to make a lasting impact they better find out what sound that is, and quickly.  

If you want some classic rock, just opt for How the West Was Won or literally any other Led Zeppelin album. Anthem of the Peaceful Army is no more than a rip-off of Zeppelin’s sound, and really not worth any of your time.

Note to the reader: Greta Van Fleet claims their biggest influence is Aerosmith and has never cited Zeppelin as an inspiration. Watch Robert Plant’s reaction here.

Written by Makaila Heifner