About fifteen years ago, I discovered Hercules when their original song Rat Race was being talked about in the Status Quo Fan Community. In the last twenty years, they have released a string of albums packed with memorable boogie and classic rock flavours. The band consist of Vemund Moss, (lead vocals, guitar) Tormod Haug, (guitar, backing vocals) Lars Braastad, (Drums) and Christen Vestad (bass).
Released in September of 2022 via digital outlets, Bite Size Blues is one of the most recent singles from Norwegian boogie rockers. Beginning with an opening riff that has an uplifting anthemic vibe, this mid-tempo rocker delivers precisely what you’d expect from the band. The solid instrumentation surrounds the vocals of Moss, while Jan Leentjes’ lyrics add an air of poignancy to the proceedings. While feeling a little more laid back than their previous efforts, the underlying boogie moves along nicely and gets the head nodding.
It is unknown whether this track will form part of a new album, or is a standalone single. Previous albums by Hercules include Checkin’ In (2002), License to Rock (2005), Rockwaves (2011) and On The Radar (2018). All of these were self-published, and are available to listen to on digital platforms.
To me, the music of Hercules isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about creating a groove that follows convention yet occasionally diverts to create something new, this is something this band do time and time again successfully. This track feels fresh in its feel, yet sits excellently alongside previous efforts. Let’s hope this track is a taster for an upcoming album.
Watch the music video for Bite Size Blue, filmed and edited by Emil Sjåstad Nyeng, below:
