Like Elephants 1 (Like Elephants 2 is scheduled for release in early 2014) is a 11 track CD full of beautiful masterpieces that are performed with so much feeling and passion, the intensity of each track is so deep you wonder what was going around the time of writing and recording.
What a treat to review UK based Earthling Society again. This band has been around since 2000 but in those years they've been quite busy, with 7 full lengths. This is their latest and one of their greatest, Zodiak. Their seventh studio album also skims the boundaries between progressive, kraut, space and psych rock while remaining in a territory all their own. Zodiak never stops surprising you throughout its entire running time and creates an extremely melodic yet bold and adventuresome musical tapestry.
Invasion On Planet 2 is simply a wonderful excursion through the musical space occupied by Space Invaders. The CD is an intricate journey and this German five some have enough panache and flair of their own to leave a lasting impression.
This Swedish trio is yet another in a seemingly endless stream of vitage rock bands that come from Scandinavia that can play to a very high standard.
The septet, including two drummers, two guitarplayers, one vocalist, one famous Trouble-bass player Ron Holzner and one female violinist, Earthen Grave executes their music with much routine, you hear their experience, the compositions are flowing, the breaks well placed and the faster passages add nice dynamics.
The Lone Crows is a US psych blues rock quartet composed of Tim Barbeau - Lead Vox, Guitar; Julian Manzara – Guitar, Andy Battcher - Bass and Joe Goff – Drums. Musically, this is the basic blues rock formula perfected by Wolfmother, Triggerfinger and Black Keys, a liberal dose of Jimi Hendrix, a pinch of Muddy Waters and flavoured with a whole wild bunch of fantastic guitar solos.
Once I started to listen to this album, I could tell there was some talent here. There are tendencies to Colour Haze-like jam a little as well as softer Floydian-moments. The band always plays as a unit, never allowing the solos to become grandiose or detract from the song as a whole. Buddha Sentenza are brimming with musical ability and SWLVR provide a platform on which to display these talents.
I guess the easiest way to describe this band is to tag them with the sludge metal label. Their thick rhythms, distorted riffs, fat grooves, and heavy as shit drumming is a trademark of the genre, so I guess that's what they are. It's very hard not to be drawn onto bands like Lento, Amebix, Melvins, Godflesh, Switchblade and more when listening to this. From the opener of “Trakthor” through “Melicow” and “Moongitruce” the band seems to create an honest and raw take on.
One of the finest labels for those with a liking for 70s influenced style stoner rock is Californian label Ripple Music, whose latest releases (Mos Generator, Grifter, Stone Axe, Devil To Pay, Mothership) maintain the quality and reputation with energy a-plenty.
It's great how Devil To Pay sounds refreshing with every new release. The band might not leap forward, but it is also remote from repeating itself. Devil To Pay’s style is stoner meets doom meets NOLA meets southern rock with all its elements in harmony.
