Release
date: August 11th 2017. Label: RidingEasy Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Flavour
Country – Tracklisting
1.Ride Free
2.French Safe
3.Beltwhip
Snakecharmer
4.Vampires of
Industry
5.Flavour Country
6.Black Leather
Jacket
Band
Members
Keef
Laramee
Jay Loos
Jim Ginther
Toby Bond
Zach Low
Brennan Barclay
Review
After long long time, I return to
talk about music. And I could do it in the best way!
Today I’m talking about the new
superb album from Shooting Guns, Flavour Country (Riding Easy
Records). This powerful sextet from Saskatoon, SK, in the heart of
the Canadian prairies come back with a stunning new album, mastered
by John McBain (ex-Monster Magnet, Carlton Melton).
As in their previous releases,
Shooting Guns have the ability to manage very different styles, in a
perfectly mix between stoner, hard and kraut-rock. In their sophomore
LP, Brotherhood Of The Ram (Riding Easy Records), the band gave us a
very slow collection of songs with a huge stoner influence, full of
edgy and fuzzy riffs. In Flavour Country, the atmospheres are
sometimes more dull, melancholic and dilated, representing the
perfect soundtrack for a journey into the immense open spaces.
The opener, Ride Free, starts with
an heavy riff halfway between Steppenwolf and Hawkwind, followed by
the psychedelic ride of French Safe, where the speed of the song is
contrasted with the wise use of synths, colouring the song of a
cinematic vein.
Beltwhip Snakecharmer is a song
where the Sabbath-oriented riff at the beginning leaves the step to
more ethereal atmospheres closely remind me to Harvestman, which
anticipate the next song, Vampire Industry. The title track, Flavour
Country and, mostly, Black Leather Jacket are the heaviest part of
the album, representing the perfect closure, with their
Sabbath-styled doom riffery, seasoned by heavy pulse-riding
psychedelia.
The kraut-rock and film-character of
the band feels very much in this release and permeates almost the
entire duration of the album. It’s a very surprising album that
leaves nothing for granted and never bores, a feature this is not a
discount for those who make instrumental music their own style.
There is no more to say, with
Flavour Country, Shooting Guns take us on a beautiful journey through
a wide spectrum of sound, where any of us will love to lose
ourselves. Highly recommended.
Words by Bruno
Bellisario
Thanks to Dave at
US/THEM PR for the promo. Flavour Country will be available to buy on
CD/DD/VInyl from August 11th 2017 via RidingEasy Records
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