Release
date: August 25th
2017.
Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD
Astrodoomeda
– Tracklisting
1. Astrodoomeda
2. Atmosphere
3. Mothership
4. Code of the
Ancient
5. Luna
6. Starlight Shade
7. Spacecraft
8. Green Machine
Band
Members
Cpt Ulven - Vocals
Roffe - Guitars
Liz - Bass
Bjudas - Drums
Review
Spaced Out Stoners - Kal-El - return
with their new album - Astrodoomeda - and it's everything bit as
intriguing and heavy as the title suggests. Their last album made a
big impression on me and this one is so much grander within its scope
and execution of the whole narrative of the album.
Opening track - Astrodoomeda - sees
lead vocalist – Cpt Ulven - channelling his inner Ozzy Osborne and
delivering a bona-fide vocal performance this album richly deserves.
The riffs are a mixture of spaced out doom sounds and classic
sounding stoner metal vibes. It can be very Monster Magnet/Black
Sabbath sounding in parts but Kal-El do this on their own terms and
not a pale imitation. The lyrics are one of the albums main strengths
as they interact seamlessly with the sci-fi theme of the whole album.
The opening track is one of two epic
tracks running near the nine minute and ten minute mark. It's to
Kal-El's credit they keep you intrigued with cool spaced out noises
and sublime voiceovers that hark back to the days of fifties science
fiction movies. Well played, Kal-El. You've done your homework on
this album.
Songs such as Atmosphere, Mothership
and Luna drive this album to heavier psychedelic moments with the
band playing a non-stop barrage of fantastic sounding riffs and
noises. Kal-El even manage to find time to include moments of
Fuzz/Desert Rock into their music. One of the main strengths of this
album and Kal-El's music in general is their undeniably strong
chemistry the band has with each other. The music flows naturally and
never feels out of place.
The whole atmosphere of the album
never feels forced and you're genuinely excited by the music that
Kal-El play. The album has an air of intelligence as the band throw
in a few knowing winks to the world of Science Fiction. My favourite
song on the album is Starlight Shade. The second epic song on the
album the band has included. Kal-El creates another trippy spaced out
story powered by heavy stoner riffs.
Kal-El include a cover of the Kyuss
classic Green Machine as the final song. You've probably heard a
thousand covers of this iconic song before. Well time to hear another
version. It's a very cool version indeed and at least Kal-El try to
add their own spin to the song.
Kal-El also made the right decision
in signing to Argonauta Records for this album release. Perhaps the
most in-form record label around who are releasing quality albums
across the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal spectrum.
If you're a fan of Black Sabbath,
Kyuss and Monster Magnet then Astrodoomeda is the album you need to
hear and fully experience right now. As Astrodoomeda is a wild and
wonderful spaced out musical odyssey that could launch Kal-El on to
bigger and better things.
Words by Steve
Howe
Thanks to NeeCee Agency
for the promo. Astrodoomeda will be available to buy on CD/DD via
Argonauta Records from August 25th 2017.
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