Greta Van Fleet – A Great American Rock Band

Victor Rouă0 comment

Greta Van Fleet is a great rock band from Frankenmuth, Michigan, Midwestern United States of America founded in 2012. Throughout its entire existence, the American group had an almost intact line-up, consisting of four very talented and technical musicians, more specifically the three Kiszka brothers, guitarist Jake Kiszka (also backing vocals), bassist and keyboardist Sam Kiszka (also backing vocals), and lead vocalist Joshua Kiszka as well as drummer Danny Wagner. Early on, the band had another drummer, but for a relatively brief period of time, more specifically Kyle Hauck (between 2012 and 2013).

The logo of the American hard rock band Greta Van Fleet, founded in 2012 in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

They were influenced by 1960s and 1970s classic rock bands, ranging from The Doors, RUSH, Queen, Aerosmith to Led Zeppelin and beyond. The main sub-genres of rock music which influenced the band’s sound are hard rock, blues rock, and progressive rock. Given their influences and strikingly similar sound to Led Zeppelin, they are labelled as a classic rock revival band (or part of the new wave of classic rock bands from the United States and the United Kingdom). Furthermore, legendary classic rock singer Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin claimed that their early work sounds like Led Zeppelin I. Last but not least, Robert Plant also said that Joshua Kiszka is ‘a beautiful little singer’. Funnily enough though, he thought Greta Van Fleet are from Detroit.

So far, Greta Van Fleet amassed an impressive success (and rightfully so, given their fantastic talent and hard work), both in commercial regards and in terms of critical acclaim. Between 2018 and 2023, the American group released 3 studio albums as follows:

  • Anthem of the Peaceful Army (2018)
  • The Battle at Garden’s Gate (2021)
  • Starcatcher (2023)

In addition, they also released two very cool EPs (i.e. extended plays), namely:

  • Black Smoke Rising (2017)
  • From the Fires (2017)

Back in 2022, the group released 4 live albums: Strange Horizons 2021 : Live From Nashville, Strange Horizons 2021 : Live From Bridgeport, Strange Horizons 2021 : Live From Chicago, Strange Horizons 2021 : Live From Los Angeles. Last but not least, as of early 2026, Greta Van Fleet released a total of 11 singles and 4 promotional singles as well as 7 music videos. Below you can listen to a personal selection of my favourite songs from their discography embedded via YouTube. They are truly worth listening to, especially if you were (and still are) into 1960s and 1970s classic rock. I truly hope you will like listening to these songs (as much as I did and still do, of course)! All the best, take care, stay safe, and rock on! 🙂 🤘

P.S. On a personal note, the earliest memory that I have with this great band is back from the time I was a still an international student at Aalborg University (AAU) in Aalborg, Denmark, namely from early 2018 (approximately at the same time that I attended a Jethro Tull concert in the same city). I used to listen to classic rock pretty much all the time when I got back from university in my student dorm room (through my Marshall headphones for the most part, I must also add) and during one evening I also discovered them on YouTube. Then, a couple of days later (or something like that), while I was walking on my way back from university I heard someone blasting them through their speakers on a street adjacent to Boulevarden. I thought that was pretty cool. The song was Black Smoke Rising if I’m not mistaken (that is if my long-term memory doesn’t deceive me). Their sound seemed so fresh and new to me while at the same time being influenced by the classics (that is, the classic rock bands that I loved listening to so much during my teenage years, beginning in the early 2010s). I initially perceived them as the new Led Zeppelin. Afterwards (that is, after the first listen/audition), I decided that I will keep on listening to them for as long as I will be alive and here I am, fast forward in 2026, writing a small tribute article about them to the best of my capabilities. Thank you so much for your great music, guys! You rock (and you always will)! Plenty of respect and success in the future as well! You deserve the best recognition possible!

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