Cowboy Space Rock - A New Modern Style

Straight out of Salt Lake City, Utah comes “cowboy space rock,” a musical style likened to Queen, Radiohead and other legendary bands from decades past.

This term describes the unique genre of modern and progressive rock band Westward, which combines the sound of rock with western trail music.

Featuring Andrew Marshall on guitar and vocals; Karl Grimm on bass and backup vocals; and Matt Morrison playing drums, their latest album, 'The Empire of Deception,' has a breathtaking rock/synth vibe to it, making for an energetic listening experience.

'The Last Stand,’ the first single from ‘The Empire of Deception', is a powerful rock ballad carrying exceptional vocal talent and a brilliant guitar solo. If you listen to it closely, you’ll hear pieces of western trail and modern rock motifs.

'Force and Matter’ is another fantastic song from the album. Although it’s audibly calmer than ‘The Last Stand’, it exudes strong energy and culminates the talent of the band's three members.

'Machines', the fourth track of the album, tells the listener about a struggle between artificial intelligence and the human mind. Through an exuberant rhythm, it's as if a live machine and a person are duking it out for superiority.

The final track, 'Fall From The Sky", makes the album come full circle. It's a neat wrap-up to the futuristic, Metropolis-like vibe projected through "hyper" sounding instrumentation, instead taking on a more tranquil approach by focusing on lighter acoustics and vocals. It's the best way to end 'The Empire of Deception'.

What's amazing about this album is the various uses of the guitar. Westward has done a remarkable job using it for multiple purposes – a soothing, low-key melody as heard in 'Fall From The Sky', or, a more intense one, as heard in ‘The Last Stand’.

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