Release Date: June 24th 2022. Record Label: Electric Valley Records. Format: DD/Vinyl
Ampire - Tracklisting
Choirs & Masses
Unison
Slumber
Members
Reib Asnah - Bass, Flute, Vocals
Chill Collins - Drums, Vocals
Bong Travolta - Guitars, Synthesisers, Saxophone
Review
Ampire is the new album from Drone/Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal collective BongBongBeerWizards and it's the second album from these Drone based Sonic Riff Wizards. The album is my first venture with BongBongBeerWizards and I'm mightily impressed with their Drone based Amplifier and Down-Tuned grooves that have plenty of distorted aggression and volume behind it all.
Opening song Choirs & Masses runs past the twenty three minutes mark with the band drawing attention from influential acts such as CONAN, Slomatics and Ufomammut with a dash of SLEEP and BLACK SABBATH but still remaining original in its own right. The music is down-tuned groovy sludgy drone based madness with a gloomy Drone/Psych Metal effect. The vocal chants are impressive with a seedy OCCULT ROCK presence. The distorted guitars have a claustrophobic feeling. BongBongBeerWizards do break this song into individual chapters in places where the music becomes slightly different with areas of almost downbeat Post-Rock themes appearing. The instrumental work is sublime with BongBongBeerWizards showing many different creative sides to their music.
Second song Unison lasts over fourteen minutes and carries the same creative delivery as the Choirs & Masses with perhaps BongBongBeerWizards playing sludgier style of music. Distortion is key yet again for this song with the grizzled Psychedelic grooves allowing the band to play a riff-centric style of music. The excellent clean sounding vocals add eerie suspense to the album. The song is steeped in Stoner Metal mythology and reminds me of the legendary DOPESMOKER in places. The end of the song has a more reflecting and uplifting YOB-esque vision that leaves this song on a more hopeful edge.
Third song Slumber is where BongBongBeerWizards bring more Sonic and Ambient noises to the album with a slow-pounding gloomy atmosphere allowing the band to start creating creepy music that is remarkably different to the previous song. This is the song where BongBongBeerWizards show their most menacing approach. The song may not be the heaviest but it has the most aggressive sounding grooves on the album. Down-tuned Drone guitars lead the way to more sinister underground heavy riffs. The long DRONED out guitars become faster towards the middle of the song with a devilish attitude rising when the superb vocals appear yet again. However, it's the brilliant distorted music that wins the show yet again for BongBongBeerWizards.
Ampire is boosted by first rate production values that still has an authentic underground and DIY feel. BongBongBeerWizards may not have the original sounding name but their music is downright genius from start to finish.
BongBongBeerWizards are one of my favourite discoveries of the year with Ampire being another Album Of The Year Contender for the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal underground to contend with.
Awesome. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Qabar PR for the promo
Ampire will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Electric Valley Records from June 24th 2022.
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp
