Release
date: April 8th 2016. Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD
Terra
Dementia – Tracklisting
1.
Ashes
2.
Plague
3.
Down
4.
Shadow on You
5.
Satellites
6.
Amoenus
Band
Members
Alex
Gavalda (guitar)
Julien
Aoufi (drums)
François
Cayla (Bass-vocal)
Dan
Letellier (machine-vocal)
Review:
She
Hunts Koalas debut album – Terra Dementia – sees the band Newly
signed to Argonauta Records, the band play an intriguing style of
Doom Metal, Sludge and almost psychedelic ritual ambient style riffs.
It’s a highly complex and intelligent album that will take a few
listens to fully appreciate. The album has six tracks that have each
contain a haunting quality to them.
Opening
track – Ashes – starts off rather quietly before the band start
adding levels of distorted psychedelic sludge/doom metal riffs.
Shades of Conan and Ufomammut do appear from time to time but the
band creates their own haunting sound.
Second
track – Plague – carries on the bleak doom and gloom atmospherics
form Ashes but the band adds a heavier sludge sound to the mix. It
allows the band to create some heavy riffs to drown the volume with.
The added synths add a claustrophobic feel to this song. The vocals
are for the most part, superb, though they can be quite repetitive at
times especially near the end of the song. It shouldn’t distract
you from the overall enjoyment of the album.
Third
track – Down – opens with a slow-paced and heavy pounding bass
guitar before the usual style of doom guitars come to change the tone
of the song. The production is not as sharp on this song compared to
the opening two tracks, though the vocals add quite a depressing and
hollow feel. The riffs can be very down-tempo at times. I still
consider this song as one of the best songs on the album.
Fourth
track – Shadow On You – feels like it was influenced by YOB in
places as the vocals and atmosphere have a certain YOB style quality
to them. She Hunts Koalas do create a more ambient post-rock feel
with heavy sludge rock distorted riffs being the main factor.
Psychedelic noises appear towards the end as the band drift to a more
ambient post-rock driven sound.
The
final two songs – Satellites and Amoenus – offer almost twenty
minutes of heavy sonic musical experimentation that both rank as the
albums finest songs. It’s on these two tracks that She Hunts Koalas
finally offer their own sound. If you’re a fan of heavy doom and
gloom slow-paced riffs then you will enjoy this part of the album the
most. The vocals have an almost eerie feel to them but it’s the
music that impresses the most. Progressive and highly complex in
places.
Terra
Dementia does have a few rough moments but it’s the overall journey
that the band takes you on make this an outstanding debut album.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Barbara at NeeCee Agency for the promo. Terra Dementia will be
available to buy on CD/DD via Argonauta Records from April 8th
2016.
Links:
