Friday 16 October 2020

JAHBULONG - Eclectic Poison Tones (Album Review)


Release date: October 30th 2020. Label: Go Down Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Eclectic Poison Tones – Tracklisting

1. Under The Influence Of THE FOOL 
2. THE TOWER Of The Broken Bones 
3. The Eclipse Of THE EMPRESS 
4. THE EREMITE Tired Out (Sweed Dreams)


Members

Martino Tomelini | bass 
Nicolò Bonato | drums 
Pierpaolo “Paul Vinegar” Modena | guitar, vocals

Review:

Eclectic Poison Tones is the new album from Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rockers JAHBULONG and they play a style of heavy and twisted Doom/Stoner Metal that draws influences from SLEEP, Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard with the band bringing their own vision for all things LOUD and HEAVY in the WEEDIAN World. 

This album has a Garage Rock appeal to it and the band thrive on this style of music that’s coming more popular in recent months but it’s a style that I’m becoming a huge fan of and JAHBULONG bring a delicious of rebellious FUZZ to the mix and perhaps paying homage to the mighty Black Sabbath. The atmosphere is quite gloomy and progressive at certain stages of the album. Everything is played “LOW & SLOW” with a haunting gloomy claustrophobic atmosphere dictating the action. 

The album has 4 tracks running between 9 mins and 15 mins in length and the band thrive on playing a classic and caustic style of Progressive Doom/Stoner Metal with a 70’s twinge of Classic Rock and Hard Rock being fused with the lyrics and top-notch vocals from Pierpaolo. You may need to give yourself extra time with this album to enjoy the full hypnotic experience as I wasn’t fully sold until I heard this album about 3 or 4 times and then the magic ultimately kicked in for myself. 

The opening song – Under The Influence Of The Fool – carries on the classic Black Sabbath sound and moulds it with the dark and twisted imagery that Electric Wizard are known but still standing on it’s own merits and that’s down to the fantastic vocals and heavy sounds the band ultimately conjure up on this song. 

JAHBULONG continue this style of music for the next 3 epic songs with second song – The Tower of The Broken Bones – being the standout track on the album. As it starts yet again with a slow punishing riff with eerie vocals being added to tell another gloomy tale and the song just moves along at it’s own wicked pace before the band unleash a powerful sonic riff that draws the listener into the action with a deafening WALL OF FUZZ being built around them. 

The Psychedelic elements of this album are good and are used superbly well though there are a couple rough parts where they could have been held back just a bit. However, this is still an album with a rebellious attitude which the band expertly use to their advantage on the final 2 songs that the albums hold with – The Eclipse Of The Empress and The Eremite Tired Out. 

JAHBULONG debut album is a thrilling Doom/Stoner Metal spectacle that has a ton of outstanding riffs for the band to make a bigger name for themselves within the scene. Maybe with one or two more album releases under their belt then I can see JAHBULONG preaching their style of Doom/Stoner Metal to audiences on some of the more prestigious Doom/Stoner Metal Festivals and Stages across the globe. 

Until then, Eclectic Poison Tones is a great album for JAHBULONG to showcase their talents and expand their fan-base.

Excellent and Highly Recommended. 

Words by Steve Howe

Eclectic Poison Tones will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Go Down Records from October 30th 2020. 

Thanks to All Noir PR and Go Down Records for the promo.

Links:

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