Saturday 31 December 2016

Larman Clamor - Beyonder (Album Review)


Release date: December 24th 2016. Label: Self Released. Format:DD

Beyonder – Tracklisting

1.Beyonder 03:39
2.And The Hand 02:56
3.Fo' What You Did 03:16
4.Pig Priest & The Motor Hag 03:59
5.Haunted, Hexed, Let Down 'n Torn 03:25
6.Tarnkappe 03:16
7.Swamp Healing 03:12
8.Somethin' Bitter To Do 03:10
9.The Draining 00:22
10.Soul Sane Juice 01:50
11.Come See... 00:35
12....Sighed The River Of Larvas 03:36
13.All Wrongs Are Right 01:27
14.In The Circus Of Night 07:29

Review

Larman Clamor returns with another heavy slice of Blues Rock driven Southern/Stoner Rock where the emphasis is purely on fun. It's hard to believe Beyonder is their sixth album since their inception. If you don't know much about Larman Clamor then where have you been all this time. The band is the work of one highly talented individual.

Alexander von Wieding. who is also a hugely talented graphic artist in his own right. He's designed some fantastic album covers for some well known Doom/Stoner Metal bands over the years. He also designed the excellent cover for this record and it only gives you a brief glimpse on what to expect on the album. Beyonder is a bluesy/doomish take on all things Southern Rock. There are no harsh vocals. Just good old fashioned Stoner/Southern based Blues that will brighten up any bleak mood.

Opening track - Beyonder - is a southern boogie rock number with Alexander putting his own original spin on that genre. The lyrics are spiky, fun and fresh but it's the music will keep you entertained. Maybe I'm looking too much into this but I can hear a slight Dave Wyndorf influence on some of the lyrics especially on "Haunted, Hexed and Let Down 'n Torn. The riffs are played at a very cool pace with hazy sounds drifting in and out. The rest of the album follows the same path as the first track as Beyonder has quite an Acoustic vibe to it.

Tracks such as "And The Hand", "Haunted, Hexed and Let Down 'n Torn", "Swamp Healing" and the brilliantly epic "In The Circus Of Night" show that Alexander hasn't lost his touch after so many releases with Larman Clamor. The production of the album is superb as the atmosphere is electric throughout. The tone can be bleak at times but Alexander does add some great humour into his lyrics. The end result is a satisfying take on all things Semi-Acoustic Southern Rock.

The only downside is that the album is a tad too long with fourteen tracks. Maybe Alexander could have left out a few tracks. Though I don't know which as he has written a collection of great tracks. Beyonder is an album that has a lot to say and you will need to give this album a few listens to get the overall effect. As Alexander blends different sounds from a wide range of genres on the majority of the songs. The instrumental work is impressive indeed especially since Alexander played everything by himself on this album.

Beyonder is another stunning album from Larman Clamor. Check it out now.

Words by Steve Howe