Based in Florida, In the Light of Led Zeppelin has been performing songs from arguably one of the most well-known rock catalogs for over nine years. The four-piece recently branched out though, while staying true to their tribute band ethos. A search for a John Paul Jones-like bassist saw guitarist Antonio Bolet, vocalist Scott Board, and drummer Keith Howard find their first female member in Autumn Martini (“Joan Paula Jones” they dubbed her) and with the strong feminine energy this lady provided, ‘the boys’ came to enlist two other ladies into the fold — violinist Randi Fishenfeld and Linda Kiley on keyboards, mandolin and backing vocals. On the Pompeii Sessions, this well-seasoned tribute band of all Grammy-nominated players presents not just the rockin’ Led Zeppelin cuts, but also take a dip with their newly added string players into material Jimmy Page and Robert Plant mined during “No Quarter” tour in 1994.
There is a similarity to the arrangements of “Dancing Days,” with its jangly slightly out-of-tune electric, “Ramble On,” and “Four Sticks,” which features some truly over-the-top wailing from Fishenfeld. The use of the violin and mandolin behind the four-piece wallop of bass, guitar, vocals and drums is subtle. “The Battle of Evermore” is a near exact read of what we all know, providing the first really incendiary moments of the seven songs on the disc. Board gives a killer wail of “Bring it back, bring it back,” while Kiley channels Sandy Denny to a tee.
Pompeii Sessions ends with “Kashmir,” the Mideastern rock tour de force to end all Mideastern rock tour de forces. The band has got this down, as does Board, no easy feat for a vocalist to be sure. Fishenfeld is locked in deep with Howard, who is understated throughout this record, and very unlike John Bonham in his softer approach on a muted snare. He is still wildly effective and he sweeps across a muted tom with Fishenfeld flying like a bee soling. The band makes their very own moment with how they handle this classic song. Recreating the songs with the same original early 70s amplification Led Zeppelin utilized, Pompeii Sessions is about as close as you may ever get to the power and majesty of Led Zeppelin.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
