Release Date: October 11th 2021. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD
Mighty Mondeo - Tracklisting
01 Dew Drops 05:04
02 Sundazed 08:19
03 Neon Sleep 08:26
04 Trans Siberian Express 06:19
05 Mighty Mondeo 07:14
06 Bathysphere 07:16
Members
Henning (Vocals/Guitar), Simon (Bass) and Emil (Drums)
Review
After 10 years of reviewing albums within the Stoner Rock/Metal genre I never thought I would be reviewing an album named after the Ford Mondeo that is a whole concept album about dealing with the harsh forces of Mother Nature and trying to get to their final destination of Greece. Well, that’s what the album description states on BandCamp.
This record stretches the boundaries of Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal. The album is heavy but only when it needs to be and it uses the quiet and almost Post-Rock or Post-Stoner grooves for great effect. This is a band with an intriguing story to tell with influences such as Earthless, Weedpecker and Monkey3. Neon Burton do their damn best at playing a cinematic style of Stoner Rock/Metal which they succeeded despite a few bumps along the way.
The first song Dew Drops is purely instrumental and has a 70’s Prog Rock feelling with modern Stoner vibes. It can be quite jazzy in places but it’s mostly Psych Stoner Rock played for instrumental kicks and extended jams.
Second song - Sundazed - is another offering with that jazzy feeling being further into the background and Neon Burton concentrate on playing their Prog/Psych hybrid sound that becomes distinctively heavier in the later stages of the song. There’s time for the band to find a subtle twinge of Desert Rock. Hanning’s glorious vocals kick-in around the 4 minute mark and it’s good to have some lyrics to give extra weight to the overall story and message of the album.
There’s a cool lo-fi DIY vibe heard within the DNA of the album especially on the production side of things. Whilst the album does sound good there were times I wanted everything to be that little bit heavier and perhaps more “bounce” into the final mix. That’s my only complaint about Mighty Mondeo as everything else makes this an intriguing and first rate Psychedelic experience.
The remaining songs on the album focus more on the Prog Rock side of things but still buoyant with Stoner Rock/Metal energy especially on songs such as: Neon Sleep, Mighty Mondeo and Bathysphere.
The instrumental work is varied and different that allows Neon Burton to flex their creative muscles for a wide array of different grooves and sounds. Lyrics are another strong focus for this record as the listener will curiously be swept away by the different themes and ideas on the record.
Neon Burton is a name perhaps you haven’t heard of before but maybe within time these guys can be more noticed within the Stoner Rock/Metal community. As this is a surreal and trippy journey that shows huge promise for the band. This is Neon Burton’s 2nd album and I still feel we haven’t heard the “real” Neon Burton yet though it’s going to be quite exciting to see what they will release next.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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