Greta Van Fleet, the band keeping old rock alive, has released their third studio album “The Battle at Garden’s Gate.” While many critics say they are a wannabe Led Zeppelin/Rush band, they have made many creative tracks.

People should give the modern rock group a chance.

The Michigan native band popped off in 2017 with their hit song “Highway Tune.” Everyone could not stop talking about how similar their sound is to the infamous ‘70s rock band Led Zeppelin.

In early 2021, they released four singles from the album including “Broken Bells,” “Heat Above,” “Age of Machine” and “My Way, Soon.”

The lead singer, Josh Kiszka, has an insane voice. Nowadays, not many artists have a voice like his. He can hit high notes and he doesn’t struggle when doing so. It’s nasally yet it’s still clear and enjoyable. Hopefully, he does not take advantage of his voice and it suddenly gives out.

This album is on the calmer side this time around. They usually have crazy guitar and drum filled songs. On this record, the group played with more mellow sounds.

Many of the songs are filled with blues-type drums, string guitars and an organ. The band is experimenting with its sound.

The boys purposefully did this because the album is about humanity and society. They talk about how war and religion have affected society to think and interact with one another. Unfortunately, not many of the lyrics stand out — the centerpiece is the actual music.

Suggestion for GVF: Don’t let the music outshine the lyrics. If someone were to look through their lyrics through each song, they might find something meaningful to them. It’s difficult to find when the lyrics are so masked.

There is one song that is wild, which is the closing song “The Weight of Dreams.” It is almost nine minutes long and most of the song is an epic riff, then it ends with simple guitar picks.

Listeners might like a couple of songs from the album. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to something new by them because they do sound so familiar to Led Zeppelin and Rush. However, if someone were to open their ears just a little more, they could appreciate and like a whole new band.

They work super hard on their songs, and it shows. Fans are eager to see what else they do down the road.

Greta Van Fleet’s “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” is a good album. This is their foundation for future music. Optimistically, they will write more memorable lyrics like their music.

Rating: 6/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “My Way, Soon” and “Age of Machine”
Least Favorite Song: “Tears of Rain” and “Stardust Chords”

Emily McGlynn is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email esm5378@psu.edu.