Release
date: January 22nd 2016. Label: Freebird Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Future Primitive – Tracklisting
1.
Blizzard of Gain 3:32
2.
Ride the Tide 3:41
3.
You Blues, You Lose 2:28
4.
Reelin’ in the Wasted Years 3:04
5.
Stabbed on the Throne 5:10
6.
Haunt Me No Longer 3:24
7.
Reap the Sown 3:26
8.
Ashes in the West 3:46
9.
Vultures at Bay 7:11
10.
Bailiff’s Blues 2:52
Band
Members:
Arjan
Zuijderduijn – Guitars
Badr van der Meijden – Guitars
Jan van der Plas – Drums
Jop Hoekstra – Vocals & Bass
Badr van der Meijden – Guitars
Jan van der Plas – Drums
Jop Hoekstra – Vocals & Bass
Review:
Back
in January 2016, I pre-ordered this album almost as a blindfold
purchase based solely on the track ‘Ride the Tide’ as the only
song streaming online from Snowburner’s debut full length entitled
‘Future Primitive’. If you too have listened to that track you
know I was no fool for pulling the trigger that fast and upon having
listened to the entire album multiple times, in fact so many I have
lost count, I can without hesitation state that ‘Future Primitive’
never fail to deliver on the promise waved with Ride The Tide.
The
whole album slays and hits you with a solid mix of heavy stoner fuzz
and boogie desert rock with a metalic edge. It’s packing so much
punch its sure to knockout any mainstream radio rock listener. The 10
tracks on ‘Future Primitive’ will without a doubt appeal to any
fan of Fu Manchu, Lo-Pan, Truckfighters, Clutch and Kyuss. One thing
that needs your attention upfront, apart from the four skilled Dutch
fuzz-wave-riders obvious keen-ear for smooth mid-paced stoner rock,
is the production. Oh man, the production on this record, is good,
and not just average stoner-doom good, no, it’s REALLY good.
The
guitars sounds warm and soothing, yet super heavy and on the brink of
melting my speakers. The drums comes through the mix with so much
power I can almost feel the punch from them in my chest. The bass is
thick and molten and vibrates just below everything. Whats strikes me
here is how well each instrument is defined, yet never leading to a
fragmented sound, and at any time you get the sense of a dump truck
of fuzz running you over. I do not think I have heard such a
sweet-sounding album since the last Brutus album (‘Behind the
Mountains’). Kudos to the band and James Plotkin for pulling this
off, it is no small feat.
Another
thing worth mentioning, before I delve into the music itself, is the
blindingly beautiful cover. We all love something nice to look at and
even more so, when a cover art in some way contributes to or
underline the musical scheme and references at stake. With ‘Future
Primitive’, we have scenery with a giant octopus fighting an
interstellar battleship at the bottom of the sea in front of some
time and space warp vortex. This acidic and gleaming vision of a
deep-sea battle is by far some of the best cover artwork I have seen
in a while and there is enough to stare at as to make even Jacques
Cousteau cream his pants.
As
hinted at earlier, the musical scope outlined by Snowburner ventures
not far from the beaten stoner rock track, although some different
and new tricks are thrown in here and there for good measure, Future
Primitive stick to a well proven formula of super fuzzy groove-laden
boogie stoner rock. This might sound like a bad thing; well in this
case, it is not. When executed very well, you do not mind
experiencing it again – kind of like bear and pretzels.
Track
after track dishes out on super tasty stoner rock, and especially
prime cuts as ‘Reelin’ in the Wasted Years’, ‘Stabbed on the
Throne’ and of course the aforementioned ‘Ride the Tide’ as
this leaves your body left to uncontrolled moving and and continuous
head-nodding.
‘Haunt
Me No Longer’ comes so damn close to the mighty Fu Manchu it is
almost scary. Again scary in the best sense of the word. Listen for
yourself and see what I mean. A band that does Fu Manchu
interpretations this well, better start writing Mr. Hill’s tracks
for him, for all I care.
‘Ashes
in the West’ nods heavily to The Sword circa ‘Age of Winters’
era with a ripping stoner heavy riff and beefy bass-lines and Jop
Hoekstra doing his best Ozzy impression. It’s important to stress
that Snowburner by no means come off as mere mimickers – glancing
at passed time masters can never be a bad thing when the impersonator
surpasses the original. Just take for instance a band named after a
flower and an acoustic Sabbath song.
Album
highlight might be ‘Vultures at Bay’ that with its soaring
melodic ending part hits some of the best stoner rock I have heard in
a long while. I can’t recommend this Dutch stoner ensemble enough
as ‘Future Primitive’ is a little shimmering blue oasis of high
caliber stoner rock amidst a drying-out desert scenery. Go have a
sip…
Check
out the closing track ‘Bailiff’s Blues’ a southern tinged delta
blues folk country thing complete with acoustic guitars and harmonica
and a feel that makes it sit as easily in on any Muddy Waters album.
Funny thing is it fits perfectly with Snowburner’s vision of a
modern take on stoner rock as well in a wry lopsided and laid-back
way. Now excuse me, where’s my Jack D…
Words
by Niels Fuzz Bartholdy
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