Release
date: 4th Quarter 2017. Label: Universal Music. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
MEPHOBIA – Tracklisting
1. Prometheus
2. Bipolar
3. Consequences
4. Easy
5. Casualty
6. Legless
7. Order
8. Dip
9. Backhander
10. Tonight
11. Trust
Members
Mircea Petrescu
"Hotshot Eagle" - vox
Mihnea Ferezan
"Panda Elixir" - gtrs
Victor "Vava"
Ferezan - bass
Mihai Nicolau "Baby
Jesus" - drums
Review
RoadKillSoda return
with a new album called Mephobia and it's another winning round of
high octane Stoner Rock/Metal. Don't let the racy and suggestive
album cover fool you. This is RoadKillSoda back on inspired form
after their last acoustic offering.
Opening track -
Prometheus - opens with a frenzied Desert/Stoner Rock riff with the
band creating a heavier Fuzz/Desert Rock sound. The vocals appear a
few minutes into the song and they have a more punk based approach.
The song also showcases RoadKillSoda new fascination with Blues Rock,
as the song moves to a heavier blues rock sound towards the end.
Second song - Bipolar -
has a more direct Stoner Metal approach with the band playing a more
classic style of Stoner Metal that echoes the classic style of Kyuss.
The song sees RoadKillSoda playing a more trippy psychedelic style of
music compared to other songs on the album. This is the style of
music where RoadKillSoda impress the most. As the psychedelic music
allows the band to fully explore their Desert Rock/Stoner Metal
sound.
Songs such as
Consequences, Easy, Casualty, Order, Backhander and Trust all prove
that RoadKillSoda have a real passion and drive for creating stoner
metal sounds of their own. The vocals have a grungier feel compared
to other RoadKillSoda albums of the past. The album maybe influenced
by Kyuss, Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu to closely at times but which
modern day Stoner Rock/Metal band isn't. At least RoadKillSoda inject
their own identity into their music unlike some other bands within
the Stoner Rock/Metal world. At least RoadKillSoda adopt a more
Southern Rock approach on the later stages of the album. The lyrics
whilst good for the most part do tend to drag on certain songs of the
album.
The standout factors of
the album is the music, vocals and the excellent production. As this
is perhaps the best that RoadKillSoda have sounded so far. For their
last studio album, the band released a double album which was quite
an extensive and exhausting listen, even for a Stoner Rock/Metal
album. This time, RoadKillSoda offer a more direct and manageable
album for their established fan-base to worship from afar.
The standout song on
the album has to be the nine minute epic psychedelic/stoner based
jams of DIP. A song that sees the band playing different styles of
Desert/Stoner Rock but with a more progressive edge. DIP has a more
classic nineties sounding grunge feel with the band enjoying
themselves more than any other song on the album.
RoadKillSoda are
definitely aiming for bigger and better things with this album. As
it's their biggest and boldest album to date. RoadKillSoda take a
wide range of risks on Mephobia and overall it's a major success.
This is an album that will no doubt appeal to their established
fan-base the most. Though if you're a casual observer there is much
to enjoy and admire here. Mephobia is another winning album from
RoadKillSoda.
Words
by Steve Howe
MEPHOBIA will be
released within the 4th
Quarter of 2017. The album will be released on CD/DD/Vinyl via
Universal Music.
Links:
