Priestess -- Hello Master

Your feelings toward Priestess, positive or negative, are largely going to be determined your feelings about the '70s. Priestess guitarist/vocalist Mikey Heppner is a riff-happy throwback to the thunderous chordage of Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi, the glambone rocketry of Marc Bolan and the searing essence of Angus Young, all balled up into a single, tightly-wound contemporary package. On their debut album, Hello Master, the Montreal quartet walks a fine line between devoutly honoring dusty memories of Hard Rock glory and dragging those memories kicking and thrashing into the present tense. The band's allegiance to the '70s is as solid as its sturdy Classic Rock foundation, but this is not merely retro wank; Priestess was strong enough to hold their own in front of a formidable Motörhead audience and cool enough to win over an equally daunting Dinosaur Jr. crowd, a testament to the band's range and authenticity. Can a Priestess have balls? Oh my, yes. (BB) Grade: B

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