Sean Athens - Time (CD)

Sean Athens has long been a household name in the music scene. At the age of 14, he was already on stage with the boy band "Kixs" at "The Dome 43" in what was then the Color Line Arena (now the Barclaycard Arena). However, he quickly realized that all this boy band hustle and bustle wasn't for him and that his heart lay in blues and rock. He then worked his way through various bands and accompanied musicians as a sideman such as Thomas Godoj (DSDS), Steffi Stefan (Udo Lindenberg), Jini Meyer (ex-Luxuslärm), and Peter Freudenthaler (Fools Garden), to name just a few.

In 2016, Athens met blues harp player Chris Kramer, and the power trio "Chris Kramer & Beatbox 'n' Blues" was born. After winning the "German Blues Challenge" in 2016 in Eunice, the band headed straight to the southern United States for two and a half weeks at the beginning of 2017 - to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. After their success in the USA, where they made it to the semifinals, they continued on to tour Germany, Norway, Denmark, Spain, and Switzerland. In 2, the trio won the "German Blues Award" for Best Blues Album. This was followed by a concert supporting the master himself, Mr. Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top and "The Supersonic Blues Machine." Athens can now look back on a considerable number of gigs and kilometers, both nationally and internationally, and three released albums with “Chris Kramer & Beatbox ́n ́Blues”.

Athens used this gained experience and energy as an incentive to begin writing songs for his first solo album in 2021. Now, in 2024, this debut album will be released on February 23.02.2024, XNUMX, via Timezone Records. On this album, Athens skillfully combines traditional blues with blues rock and classic rock. This can undoubtedly be described as modern blues rock. It sounds fresh and cohesive at all times. This is due, among other things, to Maran Meinschäfer (Henrik Freischlader, Layla Zoe, etc.), who lends this album a very special touch with his sound and is responsible for the recording, mix, and mastering.

With rock songs like "The Ballad of the Gone," "Let Me Tell You," and "Breakaway," Athens proves once again that he's not just a fan of quiet tones. The songs are bursting with energy and combine familiar classic Salmi7el with modern sounds. Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin send their regards. You can definitely hear the inspiration of Athens' heroes here. Fe7e riffs, combined with pounding drum grooves and tasteful organ sounds, form the foundation for his vocals, which always come across as full-throated and well-rested. When Athens then hits the strings for solos, you can feel his fire and passion.

The traditional 12-bar "I Want You" and the clearly BB King-inspired "Someday Baby" demonstrate Athens' mastery of traditional blues, while "Can't Bring Me Down" and "Brand New Day" again represent the intersection of blues rock and rock. It's precisely this mix of traditional influences and modern sounds that makes this sophisticated debut album so special.

For the song "Can't Bring Me Down," Athens enlisted Thomas Blug, one of Germany's best guitarists. He contributes his energetic solos to the song, inspired by Delta blues king Robert Johnson, while Athens' friend and mentor Chris Kramer plays the blues harp on "Breakaway."

But the quieter tones are also not to be missed. In "I never wanted to hurt you" and "When you say goodbye," Athens unpacks both blues and rock ballads that really get under your skin. The song "When you say goodbye" in particular is a very personal song. Here, Athens processes the loss of his father, who paved his way to the guitar at the age of just 10. The bonus track shows how important this song is to him. Here you can hear the song again in an acoustic version—very personal and intimate.

The album concludes with the power slow-blues "Only Time," which was heavily inspired by Athens' greatest idol, Gary Moore. Here, Athens lives and dies for every note on the guitar.

“Time” is an impressive and personal statement from guitarist, singer and songwriter Sean Athens, who is well on his way to finding his place in the international blues community.

01 The ballad of the gone
02 Let me tell you
03 Take me to a better place
04 I never wanted to hurt you
05 Can't bring me down feat. Thomas Blug
06 Someday Baby
07 When you say goodbye (Band version)
08 Breakaway
09 I want you
10 Brand new day
11 Only time
Bonus Track
12 When you say goodbye (Acoustic Version)