Release
date: February 24th 2015. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
The
Harvest – Tracklisting
1.Here
Come the Robots 03:17
2.Wound
03:14
3.Rituals
of the Sun 07:01
4.YFS
05:10
5.Silkworm
Confessions 09:07
6.Black
Church 14:45
Band
Members:
Igor
Sydorenko - vocals, guitars, Hammond organ, occasional keyboards and
percussion
Sergii
Sliusar - bass, FX, drummachine, backing vocals
Viktor
Kondratov - drums, percussion, backing vocals
Review:
Stoned
Jesus new album – The Harvest – was released back in Feb 2015 and
it’s an album I’ve been sent numerous times to review but I’ve
resisted all temptation as I’ve listened to it quite a few times
and I couldn’t find any connection to it at all. That’s not to
say I don’t like the band. Far from it, I loved their last album –
Seven Thunders Roar. The Harvest is a slightly different beast to its
predecessor. It’s a more complex, experimental and heavy offering
from the Kiev based Stoner Metallers.
So
why am I reviewing it now, 9 months after its initial release. It’s
down to a lot of things. Endless people sending me copies to review,
my friends within the Doom/Stoner Metal world telling me how much
they love it and acting surprised when I stated I didn’t have time for it. So it’s now time to state that I was wrong. I’ve seen the
light. The Harvest has restored my faith in Stoned Jesus as a band.
Maybe,
The Harvest is one of the albums that need multiple albums to fully
understand the amount of different ideas and noises the band have
created here. Or maybe I was just being too stubborn for my own good.
Opening track – Here Come The Robots – is a fast-paced
Stoner/Desert Rock number with the band on fine bombastic form that
fans of Orange Goblin/Kyuss will much to enjoy here. It has a
stripped back punk vibe compared to their earlier albums.
Second
track – Wound – is another 3 minute blast of psych based Stoner
Metal grooves with the band adding a classic Hard Rock vibe with
strong vocals to match. There’s nothing complex on show here but
it’s great to hear the band having so much fun and you can’t help
but rocking out yourself. Igor’s vocals have come on leaps and
bounds since he first started this band as a solo project many years
ago.
The
next 4 songs on the album sees the band venture into more progressive
territory as the songs become longer and even more complex. Third
track – Rituals Of The Sun – is a bass-heavy affair with shades
of 70s Black Sabbath as Igor feels like he’s channelling a young
Ozzy Osbourne at times. You’ll experience your first true hint of
Doom Metal here as the Stoner Rock/Metal atmosphere is layered with
doom/gloom noises and Igor’s vocals feel slightly demonic at times.
It would have been good if the band added faster riffs as the song
does drag at times. Other than that this is a fantastic song.
Fourth
track – YFS – opens with a superb bass heavy funk-driven riff
that sees the band offer crazed psychedelic and trippy Stoner rhythms
that gets you into the mood to fully lose control. The part I loved
most about this song and the album is when they start playing a more
soulful/funk based Stoner rhythm. It’s an original sound that I
want to hear more of especially when it’s played against the
heavier riffs. Perhaps my fave song on the album.
Fifth
track – Silkworm Confessions – offers 9 minutes of slightly
crazed Doom/Stoner Metal riffs with the band keeping you entertained
until the final riff. Before then you’re treated to a demonic
progressive treat. Igor once again impressing the most with his vocal
range. And the riffs aren’t bad either with the band staying firmly
in the Stoner Metal world.
The
final song – Black Church – is perhaps the most complex song the
band has written so far. It’s a slice of progressive and
experimental based madness with the band slowly adding noises to give
this song quite a claustrophobic feel. The drumming is fantastic on
this song as it becomes the main weapon of choice for Stoned Jesus to
scare you with. The heavy riffs do appear but it takes 5 mins of the
songs 14 minute epic run time. The vocals become slightly repetitive
and tiresome at times especially with the endless chants of “HA”
near the middle of the song. I can detect a slight Nine Inch Nails
influence on this song as the band experiment with their sound with
industrial and ambient noises drilling into your psyche. It’s quite
an adventurous and depressing song for the band to create. Though I
give them top-marks for doing something different.
I
still have some of the original reservations about The Harvest when I
listened to it months ago. However, I can now see what the band was
trying to achieve with this album. Mainly to offer something
different and perhaps unsettling compared to their previous albums. I
still prefer – Seven Thunders Roar – to this album. Though this
is still a fantastic and at times unique take on all things Stoner
Metal.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR (and the multiple other people who have
provided me copies over the last 10 months or so). The Harvest is
available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl
