(Blues-Rock) Virgil & The Accelerators - The Radium - 2011, WAVPack (image+.cue (iso.wv)), lossless

The Radium is the debut album from Virgil and the Accelerators featuring Virgil McMahon, 19, on guitar and vocals, his brother, Gabriel McMahon, 18, on drums, and Jack Timmis, 21, on bass and keyboards. Virgil and the Accelerators are one of the most exciting and promising young bands on the blues rock scene today. This is a band seasoned far beyond their years.
The Radium opens with “Working Man,” a fantastic rocker featuring a breathtaking guitar solo that may just be the best of the year. One thing for sure is there is no shortage of great riffs on The Radium, perhaps none better than “Backstabber,” which starts with a classic hook from Virgil on guitar that is complemented well by Jack Timmis on keys. While Virgil shines on the guitar, his vocals are surprisingly mature for his age. He’s not just a young guitar slinger, but a talented singer as well. With that being said The Radium is definitely a guitar driven album, and it closes with the beautiful instumental “Silver Giver,” where Virgil shows he can do more than play riffs and blistering solo’s. It is a song filled with feeling and a great way to end the album.
Virgil and the Accelerators are one of the breakout bands of 2011. It really is amazing to see such an effort from a band so young. The Radium is right up there with the best albums of the year. The sky is the limit for Virgil and the Accelerators and soon enough they will take their place as one of the best bands around.
The Review: 8.5/10

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Virgil & The Accelerators are a trio comprising Virgil McMahon on vocals and guitar, his brother, Gabriel, on drums and Jack Timmis on bass guitar and keyboards. The title of the album refers to The Radium Beer Hall in South Africa where the very young Virgil witnessed his father playing the blues. By the age of nine, he was already showing considerable promise as he emulated the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. At the age of twelve, he was invited to jam with Otis Grand and earned himself a standing ovation.
The Radium contains eleven original tracks, starting with “Working Man”, which develops after a gentle opening into heavy-beating blues-rock, complete with the first of many blistering guitar solos. “Refuse To Believe” and “Backstabber” owe a debt to The Rolling Stones, providing shades of “Jumping Jack Flash” and “Brown Sugar” respectively. The slow and bluesy “88” provides a breather before “Racing With Life” picks up the pace with another impressive helping of guitar-based pyrotechnics.
“The Storm” is an instrumental, which projects a heavier feel in line with its title while “Low And Dirty” and “Bad Girl” return to the blues-rock idiom, the former delivering a Jon Amor-influenced ambience in its predominant, underlying riff. The slow and plaintive “Fell To The Floor” is superbly underpinned by the excellent rhythm section and “Cold Hearted Woman” is a fast-moving rocker, boasting a wah-wah drenched guitar solo. The album closes with the beautifully played “Silver Giver”, a Hoax-like instrumental – although, at nearly nine minutes’ duration, it is perhaps a shade long and slightly self-indulgent.
This is a splendid album by a highly accomplished young trio. In particular, at nineteen years of age, Virgil McMahon is a supremely talented guitarist and, unlike so many young guitar slingers, also delivers very effective vocals. Make no mistake, this is a band destined for wide acclaim and the album fully endorses that judgment.
Lionel Ross

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VIRGIL MCMAHON is without doubt the finest young player to emerge in the UK for a good many years. Emulating his father when just 5 years of age, he picked up a mandolin and began to strum chords. From that day forward a guitar has never left his side and he would often be seen on balmy Friday nights running around helping his Father set up his stage gear at The Radium Beer Hall, South Africa, where he would play his blues to an appreciative audience.
By age 9 Virgil was absorbing his influences with frightening ease; Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top amongst others were soon emanating from his guitar. At 12 years of age he was invited to jam with the great bluesman Otis Grand, an evening that earned him his first standing ovation.
The following few years saw Virgil playing at local gigs and festivals in and around his new home in Wales. It was widely agreed that something very special was being witnessed. Virgil decided to form a young and vibrant band thus avoiding the mistake a lot of young players make, that of surrounding themselves with a group of more seasoned professionals.
Young brother GABRIEL (at the time an unbeaten amateur boxer) was recruited to play drums along with a local bass player. VIRGIL & THE ACCELERATORS were unveiled at the prestigious West Midlands venue, Robin 2 in Wolverhampton where they immediately established a rapport with the knowledgeable crowd.
In 2009 came a big break when playing at The Anchor in London, one of many venues promoted by club guru Pete Feenstra. This connection led to the band being taken on by The Rhino Agency and subsequently joining Joanne Shaw Taylor and Oli Brown on the sell out "New Generation Blues Tour" and enjoying main stage performances at major festivals around the UK.
At just 18yrs old, lead guitarist of Virgil and the Accelerators, Virgil McMahon, became the youngest person short listed in the 2010 British Blues Awards.
During the past year Virgil and his 17yr old brother Gabriel on drums have toured extensively in the UK and Northern Europe, ending the year playing in front of a combined audience of over 5,000 fans enjoying two fantastic performances with Joanne Shaw Taylor in support of Black Country Communion at London Shepherds Bush Empire and Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Virgil & The Accelerators now feature the talents of 21yr old Bassist Jack Timmis the final cog that completes a unit so full of energy and power that audiences are left simply breathless. Virgil has astonishing Fretboard skills, a Vibrato that is a National treasure, and is a true feel player delivering jaw dropping solos. Together with Gabriel’s powerhouse drumming and Jack’s solid bass lines, the result is a band which has been likened to a new "Cream". Virgil and his exciting band have a clear understanding of dynamics and the rare ability to get inside a song, turn it inside out and then back again – a talent that brings a standing ovation at every show.
Virgil & The Accelerators signed to Mystic Records, recording their all-original debut album entitled "THE RADIUM" which is to be released 26th September and backed up with a full UK tour.

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