“We wanted this album to be orgasmic!”

No modern rock band polarizes opinion like Greta Van Fleet. But with new album The Battle At Garden’s Gate, will they finally shake off the ‘mini-Led Zeppelin’ label? Guitarist Jake Kiszka explains how they’re reaching for a sound that’s “orgasmic and cinematic”, and how he is constantly refining and rethinking his art

- Amit Sharma

Greta Van Fleet could very well be the most divisive rock band of the 21st Century. On one hand, there are those who recognise great maturity in the Grammy-winning Michigan quartet and praise their ability to conjure up vintage sounds of the past with staggering accuracy. And on the other, there are the detractors who write the band off as cocky young Led Zeppelin wannabes, lacking both credibility and originality.

Given the influences at play on GVF’s 2018 debut Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, it’s perfectly understandable how they ended up in this position. But this may be about to change with the release of new album The Battle At Garden’s Gate.

The three Kiszka brothers – singer Josh, guitarist Jake and bassist Sam – and the fourth member of the band, drummer Danny Wagner, all freely admit that Led Zeppelin will always be one of GVF’s primary influences. But this time around they have been adding new dimensions to their wall of noise. More varied and expansive than anything they’ve recorded in the past, The Battle At Garden’s Gate, should hopefully put an end to the endless debates on their musical legitimacy...

As Jake explains to TG: “We’ll still be honoured and humbled by any references to or affiliations with Led Zeppelin,” says Jake Kiszka, when confronted with the negative aspects of being such a popular and yet polarising band. “I mean, it’s worth noting that Zeppelin were an influence on many other groups. But I think this album showcases and reimagines the influences we grew up with, especially the blues stuff...