Saturday 1 December 2018

Lord Vapour - Semuta (Album Review)


Release date: December 1st 2018. Label: Magic Moustache Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

Semuta – Tracklisting

1.Burning Planet 
2.The Spice
3.Through The Doors Of Kukundu
4.Semuta Music
5.The Mothership Connection
6.Nasubi

Members

Christian Mariess - Drums
Henry Fears - Guitar
Joe Le Long - Bass & Vocals

Review

Lord Vapour are back with their new album Semuta and the album arrives two years after their critically acclaimed debut album Mill Street Blues. Lord Vapour play a loud and heavy mix of Psych, Doom, Stoner and Classic Rock sounds. Their talent was evidently clear on their celebrated debut album. However they take things further on their new opus with the band adding a heavy progressive and jagged sound.

Lord Vapour have actually took more creative risks on this album. It may not seem like it when you first listen to the album. However the band add a more atmospheric and deep style of classic rock to their overall sound. The album sounds wonderful from the start and has a much richer sound compared to Mill Street Blues.

Opening song – Burning Planet – slowly starts weaving psychedelic riffs amongst the classic Doom based vibes that Lord Vapour excel playing at. The song soon moves into other areas of music such as Stoner and Classic Rock and works surprisingly well whilst retaining its Psychedelic gloomy charm. Once the confident vocals of Joe appear the album moves into more dynamic Space Rock territory. As the lyrics have quite an OTT and science fiction feel to them. That part was seen in Mill Street Blues but not as fully realized on this album.

Second song – The Spice – is perhaps named after the much sought after commodity of the Frank Herbert classic science fiction saga – Dune. Though Lord Vapour deal in heavy mix of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal that is quite boisterous at times with the music being distinctively loud from the start. The guitars are very precise that allows the band to play a high amount of epic guitar solos. The vocals from Joe are fantastic yet again with them having a playful doomier edge to them. The music is a mixture of classic rock and modern Doom/Stoner based grooves. This is one of the standout songs on the album.

Third song – Through The Doors Of Kukundu – is a song that was originally released as a digital single last year and it’s good to see the song included here. As the song fits perfectly well within this album. It’s a more of Blues Rock sound compared to the other songs on the album. However the band still manage to play a high amount of Doom/Stoner Metal sounds. The song is influenced by Orange Goblin in many ways in both with the music and vocals.

The second half of the album is equally as good as the first half if not better. As Lord Vapour play some of the heaviest and most spaced out riffs on the album. Two of the songs – Semuta and Nasubi – both run past the eight minute mark and Lord Vapour impress the most on these two songs on the second half of the album. With heavy progressive guitar riffs instantly drawing you into their weird and spaced out world.

Mill Street Blues may have made Lord Vapour as a band to look out for. However, Semuta proves that Lord Vapour are destined for bigger and better things. Lord Vapour have delivered the goods with this album.

If you’re a fan of Black Sabbath, Orange Goblin, Kyuss and Fu Manchu then Lord Vapour are the band for you. Semuta is a gloriously heavy and brilliantly entertaining psychedelic blast into the Doom/Stoner Metal cosmos.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Lord Vapour for the promo. Semuta is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Magic Moustache Records.

Links: