Preacher Stone – By The Horns 2025, MP3+FLAC

Hewn from the same rock as Southern legends Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Gov’t Mule, and Blackfoot, North Carolina’s PREACHER STONE have been treading the board since 2008 with one aim: To keep the flag of Southern Rock flying high. And they succeed on their upcoming album “By The Horns“, a groove-laden Southern Rock album full of swagger and foot-stomping anthems.

It is not a long album, but it is rich in quality and that same boogie groovy rock n’ roll that we have come to expect. The bombast of the title track through, to the Black Star Riders’ style groove of track four ‘The Devil You Know’, this is an album that you can play repeatedly and not get bored with in the slightest.
The saying ‘the sum of the parts’ could have been written for Preacher Stone, for each band member is vitally important to the band’s overall delivery. Anchored by the pounding beats of drummer Josh Wyatt, who hits hard yet does not overpower any element of the band’s sound, the smooth bourbon-soaked vocals of Ronnie Riddle hit all the right spots, and the dual guitar work of Ben Robinson and Darrell Whit alongside bassist Jim Bolt is sublime.

Although they sit in the Southern Rock category, and proudly at that, it is the storytelling swagger that makes Preacher Stone such great fun to listen to. They are steeped in the history of bands from Skynyrd, Hatchett, through to Blackberry Smoke and The Cadillac Three, drawing from the influences without plagiarizing.
It is a style that works well, brings a groove and sound that is most welcoming, and which, in a world of far too much intensity, just allows time to immerse and switch off.

Do not make the mistake that these songs are simple. They may sound it, but there is plenty of investment to make songs like ‘Come What Way’ and ‘Blessing And A Curse’ what they are.
The dual guitar work is switched on from the opening title track, driving an infectious riff that gets under the skin, with Riddle’s laid-back, smoky voice, warm and welcoming like an old friend whose company you really enjoy. It is a big boot stomping anthem to start the album, and to be honest, the fun doesn’t stop until the recording finishes.

Sometimes, less really is more, and nine songs over 33 minutes means that the quality must be good. Preacher Stone know how to deliver, and they rock greatly. It’s classic rock, just what the doctor ordered.
Highly Recommended

01.By The Horns
02.Saddled And Rode
03.Writing On The Wall
04.The Devil You Know
05.Blessing And A Curse
06.Old Joe
07.The Last To Know
08.Come What May
09.Think By Now

MP3 FLAC