Release Date: March 25th 2022. Record Label: Noisoltion. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Payan - Tracklisting
1.Afghan Sky feat. Nick DiSalvo 05:49
2.Shot Shot Shot Shot feat. Tommi Holappa 07:04
3.Payan feat. Igor Sydorenko 07:01
4.Transcend! Exceed! 03:59
5.Prophecy 08:52
6.Talagh 05:05
7.The Mission feat. Willi Paschen 05:09
Members
Andreas Voland (Bass, Vocals, Organ)
Behrang Alavi (Vocals, Guitar)
Stephan Voland (Drums, Vocals, Percussion)
Review
Payan is the new album from prolific German Psych Stoner Rockers Samavayo and the band show new waves of Fuzzed Up Psychedelic Creativity on their seventh record. The band brought a few of their famous pals along for the ride of the majority of the tracks. Samavayo bring a more Seventies Psych Rock and Space Rock attitude to this album and it’s definitely more spaced out than I originally anticipated.
Opening track Afghan Sky features a guest appearance from ELDER head honcho Nick DiSalvo and it’s mix of Desert Fuzz with a boisterous sludgy and seedy Psychedelic grooves with awesome added bonus of Classic Stoner Metal vocals showcasing Samavayo are still hungry after all this time playing their blend of highly anthemic music. The song is quite rebellious and has quite a powerful Space Rock afterthought especially when the Psychedelic Freakouts appear. You can hear influences from bands such as KYUSS, Thin Lizzy and Queen on this track.
Second song Shot Shot Shot Shot teams the band up with Tommi Holappa from legendary Swedish Stoners DOZER and GREENLEAF. A stirring mix of Swedish Spaced Out Stoner Metal and Classic Desert Rock/Stoner Metal that still manages blast all the way upto the COSMOS with a mighty fine Prog Metal outlook as well. Throw in flashy Classic Hard Rock guitar solos and Samavayo conjures up one of the standout tracks on the album.
Third song Payan sees Samavayo join forces with Stoned Jesus main-man Igor Sydorenko and the results are equally as good as the opening two tracks with this perhaps being the best track on the entire album. Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath and Soundgarden are perhaps the strongest musical influences that I can hear on this track with Samavayo still playing their usual first rate Psych Stoner Metal delivery. The song does take some time for Samavayo to find their creative ground but I loved the more nuanced style of music on this track. Add a haunting Middle Eastern element and Payan is the song with the most interesting things to say.
The following three songs Transcend! Exceed!, Prophecy and Talagh sees Samavayo branch out on their own with this being the real “Samavayo” finally starting to appear with their usual first rate take on modern day Psych Stoner Metal with Prophecy and Talagh being the real highlights here. As these are the songs where Samavayo feel they go back to their musical “roots”.
The final song The Mission features a team-up with Will Paschen (Coogan’s Bluff) and is the most straight-forward and action packed of the collaborative pieces of this album. The song is quite direct and offers a slightly skewed Punk Rock off-take of AIC inspired vocals and blistering Stoner Rock grooves.
Payan is one of the strongest releases that Samavayo have released in some time. Potentially it could even be considered one of their best releases to date.
Overall, Payan is a turbo charged affair with a fantastic modern day aggressive attitude.
Awesome stuff. End of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to the many folks who sent promos to review. Too many to mention this time I’m afraid.
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp
