Release
date: March 15th 2018. Label: Pink Tank Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Till
Marijannah – Tracklisting
1. 1974
2. Bride Of Mine
3. Snakecharmer
4. All Hallows Eve
Members
Azri
Nick
Rasyid
Skinny
Review
Marijannah
are a fairly new band from Singapore but consists of seasoned
veterans from Wormrot and The Caulfield Cult. So there's plenty of
experiences on hand which shows so well in the four tracks on 'Till
Marijannah'. What's on offer is super-fuzzed out heavy psych/stoner
rock with enough sharp riffs to take down Mount Everest, and played
in a way you've never heard before. It’s perhaps nothing new per
se, but what makes this album stand out and sound different, in
better words, is the approach to the music and the sheer talent on
hand.
There
are “only” 4 tracks on this debut, which clocks in at just over
29 minutes. Some might complain about a shortage of songs but I say
the opposite. The way ‘Till Marijannah’ pans out over this time
and track span works fantastically well. Opener ‘1974’ is a
steamrolling riff-fest that grinds you down to dust while
simultaneously catapulting you out into a claustrophobic, nightmarish
state of being. Marijannah keeps pummeling you until no resistance is
left and all you can do is give in and let this sonic juggernaut
carry you away. ‘Bride Of Mine’ slows down the pace somewhat –
not much - yet the band is still relentless and punishing. While one
guitar unleashes riff after hard-driving riff, the other play
soaring, trippy leads on top of it while the bass guitar and drums
keeps it all together. Spaced out and brutal at the same time, can’t
get much better than that.
‘Snakecharmer’
picks it up slightly sending out High On Fire/Sleep et al vibes.
Hypnotic, mesmerizing and pulverizing, there’s a lurking evil in
the shadows waiting to pounce once the time is right. The soloing is
blinding and free-flowing offering some respite before the clutches
of darkness gets its grasp on you. Closer ‘All Hallows Eve’ is,
just like the other songs, punishing in it’s mid-tempo pace. But it
is more atmospheric in the sense that the band has added choir-like
background vocals in many parts. This elevates the song to something
else especially since Marijannah has opted for clean, dreamy and
hypnotic vocals throughout, instead of harsher vocals. A great ending
to a great debut!
What
sets this Singaporean band apart is, like I stated earlier in their
approach and know-how within the ranks. But other factors are how
deftly they blend riffs, vocal-style, tempos and feelings in a way I
haven’t come across within this musical sphere before. Don’t know
how they conjured this and I don’t care because Marijannah has
created a beast of a debut!
Words
by Håkan Nyman
Thanks to Pink Tank
Records for the promo. Till Marijannah will be released on
CD/DD/Vinyl via Pink Tank Records from March 15th 2018.
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