Vintage Review: Jason & the Scorchers' A Blazing Grace (1995)

A Blazing Grace marks the return to record of Nashville’s own Jason and the Scorchers after a six year hiatus. From the first opening chords of “Cry By Night Operator,” a classic cry-in-your-beer tale of love lost set with a modern spin, the listener will recognize this as vintage Scorchers. Showcasing a trademark sound that is created of equal parts country roots and metal-edged, guitar-driven rock, A Blazing Grace nonetheless shows the band’s growth during their lengthy time off, as well. Cuts like “The Shadow of Night” and “Hell’s Gates” are reflections of the hard-earned collective wisdom and maturity that is the new Scorchers, whereas “One More Day of Weekend,” “Why Baby Why” or “200 Proof Lovin’” are hard rocking numbers with one foot firmly placed in the honky tonk. A Blazing Grace is a welcome homecoming for the Scorchers, one of the most critically-acclaimed bands in the history of rock and roll. (Mammoth Records, released 1995)

Review originally published in the T-Bone insert of The Tennessean newspaper