Release Date: 22nd January 2021. Record Label: Karma Conspiracy Records. Format: DD/Vinyl
Through The Grapevine - Tracklisting
Mandala Lady
Spider's Web
Domo
Long Night
Inner Rest
Flower
Christian Reuter - Guitars
Max-Milan Bergrath - Guitars
Michael Hupp - Drums
Nils Geisser - Bass
Review
Black Magic Tree are a German Psychedelic Blues/Stoner Rock Band and is their debut full length album - Through The Grapevine. The band show cool confidence and an almighty Stoner Rock swagger that embraces the wild and crazy times of 70s Blues Rock and Psychedelic Rock. The album only runs for 31 minutes or so but this is quite a straightforward record with a wide assortment of different grooves and riffs.
Black Magic Tree also has that feel-good vibe amongst the vocals and lyrics on this album with the band taking inspiration from Led Zepplin but more emphasis on Soulful Blues Rock moments leading the way.
Opening song - Mandala Lady - is quite an upbeat and exciting song to open the album with it’s healthy dash of Blues driven Stoner Rock. The overall feel and flow of the album is 60s/70s Classic Hard Rock with some excellent almost modern guitars adding real weight to the volume of the album. If you dig early Kadavar then Black Magic Tree play a similar style of music.
Second song - Beethoven - is more of a modern and almost party atmosphere with addictive vocals allowing Black Magic Tree to move further into their Stoner Rock persona. Though the song becomes slightly doomier as a result. The classic rock guitars give the song a sense of fun which will leave you with a warm FUZZY feeling inside.
Third song - Spiders Web - is more low-key with an almost laid-back solitary feel with the hazy slow-paced guitars but it soon speeds up to be one of the best tracks on the album. Black Magic Tree offers a vivid mix of Blues Rock, Psych Rock and a more organic Stoner Rock atmosphere. I can hear elements of Northern Ireland Blues/Hard Rockers - The Answer - on this track but the added bonus of Doom Rock guitars towards the end are a welcome surprise.
Black Magic Tree went slightly more progressive with the next 2 songs Domo and Long Night with almost 11 minutes allowing the band aiming for a slightly darker vibe and succeeding especially on Domo. The riffs on Long Night are perhaps the best part of the album but Domo does have better vocals and lyrical content. The band keeps going for that vintage Doom Rock element and it’s an exciting part of the album.
The final two songs - Inner Rest and Flower - sees Black Magic Tree return to the albums earlier Psychedelic Blues/Stoner Rock sounds and play a collection of great sounds that moves effortlessly between Classic Rock and flat-out modern Stoner Rock.
Through The Grapevine is a well-produced record that covers the different eras of Classic Rock and Stoner Rock with superb effort and ultimately leaves the listener wanting more. This is a precise and exciting record for the band to release. I would have liked a longer record but that doesn’t stop this being a top-notch record for people to take notice of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Karma Conspiracy Records and Black Magic Tree, you can hear the album in full with this exclusive album premiere:
Through The Grapevine is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Karma Conspiracy Records.
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