Saturday 24 September 2016

GEEZER - S/T (Album Review)


Release date: 18th November 2016. Label: Ripple Music (CD/DD) and STB Records (Vinyl). Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Geezer – S/T – Tracklisting

Sunday Speed Demon
One Leg Up
Sun Gods
Bi-Polar Vortex
Dust
Hangnail Crisis
Superjam Maximus
Stoney Pony

Band Members:

Richie
Turco
Pat

Review:

Heavy Blues/Doom Rockers – Geezer – return with another round of fast-paced riffs on their new self-titled album. Two years have passed since their last release – Gage. Geezer’s new album is being released by powerhouse partnership of Ripple Music and STB Records. So you have that mark of quality working in your favour when those two great labels are involved.

Geezer’s new album starts with the very low-key opening track – Sunday Speed Demon. A bluesy and almost country classic rock song which is definitely not the most familiar sound Geezer is known for. Pat Harrington (Vox/Guitars) then turns into a rock and roll preacher with shouts of Hallelujah and Amen. Then the heavy riffs start to appear and the album finally comes into life. You better fasten your seatbelts folks, as from here on in, Geezer change the whole tone of the album for the better.

Second track – One Leg Up – sets the whole tone for the remainder of the album as Pat appears to channel his inner-spacelord. He sounds like a much younger and vibrant Dave Wyndorf. That’s not the only change as Geezer start to channel the early cosmic spaced out sounds of Monster Magnet with the heavy thunderous rock charge of Blue Cheer. The grooves become more psychedelic and the music is heavier as a result.

The song-writing is fantastic with the lyrics having a certain tongue-in-cheek quality about them, though it’s the music that holds your attention. Geezer seems to be thriving with their sudden change of sound. The one thing that impressed me the most about the album is how Geezer has added elements of Droned Out Space Rock. This allows Geezer to create a doomier and spaced out sound compared to previous releases.

The next three tracks – Sun Gods, Bi-Polar Vortex and Dust – is where Geezer impress the most as they create some of the albums standout moments. Sun Gods has a haunting Post-Rock/Doom/Drone kind of vibe with some spacier Desert Rock style vocals. That could be my favourite song on the entire album and perhaps my favourite song by Geezer so far.

Bi-Polar Vortex and Dust carries on the spaced out vibe but with traces of Geezer’s familiar style of Blues Rock/Doom riffs making a welcome return. Pat’s vocals impress yet again that remind me of Dave Wyndorf yet again but with a grungier outlook.

The production on the album is crisp and precise as this allows Geezer to create the best sounding record of their career so far. I’ve been a fan of Geezer for a few years now so trust me this is the best they have ever sounded. You can tell that the band put their heart and soul into this album. It’s a passionate and hard-rocking affair with the eight songs on the album being equally as good as each other.

The album runs for fifty-two minutes or so and Geezer impress from the very start. Geezer’s transformation from Doom/Blues Rockers to Spaced Out/Cosmic Stoner Rockers is one that you all need to hear and experience for yourselves. I can’t rate this album highly enough. Geezer may have delivered perhaps one of the best Stoner Rock albums of the year in my opinion.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Richard at Sheltered Life PR for the promo. Geezer will be released on CD/DD via Ripple Music and Vinyl via STB Records from November 18th 2016.

Links: