Release
date: May 19th 2017 (Digital). June 9th 2017
(CD/Vinyl). Label: STB Records/Kozmik Artifactz Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Psychoriffadelia
– Tracklisting
1.Hair Of The Dog
2.Stressknots
3.Psychoriffadelia
4.Red Hook
5.Dirty Penny
Members:
Pat Harrington: guitar/vocals
Richie Touseull: bass
Charles Ruggiero: drums
Review
Didn't
we just have a new album from Geezer last year. I know we did as I
made their self-titled album my favourite album of 2016. Now the guys
are back with Psychoriffadelia. What can we expect from Geezer this
time round. More of the same glorious spaced out/cosmic stoner sounds
from the last album or something else altogether. Well I have good
news and bad news in regards to the album. Bad news first, there are
no traces of any cosmic/spaced out riffs from the last album. None at
all. Don't let that put you off. The good news is that
Psychoriffadelia is still another excellent album from Geezer where
the riffs are king!!! –
Psychoriffadelia
sees Geezer opt for a more stripped back psychedelic blues/stoner
rock sound. This album sees Geezer going back to basics with a more
vintage blues rock sound. It's still gloriously heavy and the opening
track - Hair Of The Dog - shows that Geezer haven't lost their drive
in creating highly energetic and infectious riffs. The mood and
lyrics of the album are ever so playful like they were on the last
album. It's quite a groove laiden sound and one we haven't heard from
Geezer before.
Maybe
Geezer will be one of those bands who try a different sound with each
album that they release. The song has an excellent sing-along cheeky
chorus that you will be singing along to in no time at all. The music
drifts from classic stoner rock sounds to the more heavy pounding
blues rock/metal kind of sound. Geezer are in boisterous form and the
album is packed full of this angry and playful attitude.
Second
track - Stressknots - is another blues rock driven sound with Pat's
vocals having a slight Brant Bjork influence. It's good to see Geezer
incorporating elements of Desert Rock at times though the focus is
primarily on their favoured Blues/Stoner Rock hybrid sound.
The
third track - Psychoriffadelia - offers a brief hope to the previous
albums spaced out sound with a glitchy sounding radio transmission,
but nope. Geezer still opt for this albums blues rock driven score.
This song is one of two epic tracks that Geezer have provided here.
This is my favourite song off the album as it sees Geezer in more of
a laid back mood. The blues rock vibes create an early soothing
atmosphere with moments of heavy stoner rock slowly creeping in. The
mood becomes heavier and way more psychedelic as time passes by. This
is the type of song is where Geezer always excel at as they love to
jam with their musical instruments. It's purely an instrumental
affair.
The
final two tracks - Red Hook and Dirty Penny - are a mixture of laid
back Blues Rock and Americana especially with Red Hook. As that song
has a slight folk based feel. A cool slide guitar offers Geezer in
more reflective mood. The final song - Dirty Penny - is an almost
fourteen minute track where the band throw everything at you. Heavy
psychedelic blues/stoner riffs played with aplomb and excellent
lyrics that has a distinctive hard rock feel.
I
can see why Geezer have released Psychoriffadelia instead of a more
natural based follow-up to their last album. Sure I would have loved
something similar to their last album though you have to give Geezer
credit for releasing something different. It has a lot of things in
common with their last album.
Both
albums are particularly heavy and both show Geezer are masters in
creating their own special kind of Blues/Stoner Rock sound. I still
prefer their last album to Psychoriffadelia. Though this is still an
exciting and fantastic sounding album to lose yourself in. Long-time
fans will no doubt go crazy over this album and newer fans will enjoy
the different variety of riffs on show. Psychoriffadelia is another
outstanding album from Geezer
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks to Pat from
Geezer and Kozmik Artifactz for the promo.
Psychoriffadelia
is available to buy on DD from May 19th
2017. CD/Vinyl will be released via STB Records and Kozmik Artifactz
from June 9th
2017.
Links:
