InTechnicolour - Midnight Heavyweight (Album Review)

Date Released: November 04th 2022. Record Label: Small Pond Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Midnight Heavyweight: Tracklisting

1.BloodMoonShine

2.The Wave 

3.Tokyo Dream 

4.Wake Up Dead Man

5.Corner of Time in the World

6.Turn It Loose 

7.Midnight Heavyweight

8.Remember Not to Forget

9.Fever Queen

10.Making Friends with Shadows

11.Eastman

Members

Tobie Anderson - Vocals

Dave Jackson - Guitars

Vlad Matveikov - Bass

Sam Coveney - Drums

Review

Midnight Heavyweight is the second album from UK Alternative/Doom/Stoner Rockers InTechnicolour and follows their 2020 debut album Big Sleeper. This time the band returns with heavier Sludgier sounds and more dynamic vocal styles compared to their debut album. The album still contains the debut albums style of Desert Rock, Psych Rock and Stoner Rock but with a more mature attitude. Now you can hear elements of Baroness and Mastodon in their music.

The album itself is a bigger and bolder effort to their debut album with InTechnicolour using complex melodies and harsh vocals for a different style of music which you can hear to great effect on the first few opening songs of BloodMoonShine, The Wave and Tokyo Dream. Songs that have modern day Doom/Stoner Rock sound with echoes of Alternative Metal with some mighty QOTSA swagger and it’s quite interesting with some of the vocal choices InTechnicolour make on this album. There is still a “POPPY” element to the band’s overall sound but if you can imagine KYUSS jamming with harsher and heavier bands then InTechnicolour is the best way to describe their approach on this album.

It’s hard to believe this is the same band that released Big Sleeper but this album was recorded during COVID lockdown and maybe the band’s creative perspective changed massively due to the events going around the world at the time.

It’s to the band's credit they have made an easy-going and deeply engaging album even when the harsher aspects take over that sees the mood become one of pure SLUDGE METAL FURY on the later stages of the album via tracks such as Corner Of Time In The World, Turn It Loose, Midnight Heavyweight, Making Friends With Shadows and Eastman. 

Midnight Heavyweight is filled with lush Psychedelic Sounds and MASSIVE SOUNDING melodic choruses that can easily be classed as STADIUM ROCK quality. InTechnicolour are the type of band that plays music that has a huge commercial aspect to it all and one that would easily rule the roost within the Sludge/Stoner Metal underground scene. There’s something for everyone to enjoy here. 

This is an outstanding release from InTechnicolour and showcases the band have a very bright future indeed and maybe even branch that little bit further into the mainstream.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Hannah at Hold Tight PR for the promo.

Midnight Heavyweight will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Small Pond Records from November 4th 2022.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Dreams Of Venus Release New Video And Announce Details Of Debut Album

Former Hades bassist premiers Dreams of Venus

Sometime back in 1990s NYC, a power trio from the Lower East Side emerged on the scene, they called themselves Dreams of Venus -

Jimmy Schulman (Hades, Vessel Of Light, Cassius King) on bass
Addie Flaxx (Massive Internal Complications, Pound Of Flesh) on guitar and vocals
Kirke J Blankenship (Ours) on drums

On the heels of NJ Thrashers Hades' break up Jimmy said, "I knew I wanted to start a band with only one guitar player and base it out of NYC."

Addie added, "I had been living in Boston and moved back to my hometown NYC. I was looking to do a no bullshit thing, straight up and raw."

The two were introduced one night in an East Village bar by a mutual friend, they hit it off and decided to form a band. Addie said, "When I met Jimmy it was love at 1st misadventure ( laughs) .We swapped party favors and band influences...then it was off to the races."

"When we met Kirke he worked at a rehearsal studio. The studio closed at 11:00PM every night and Addie an I would sneak in at midnight." said Jimmy.

Addie added, "Those late night sessions at the rehearsal space were pretty decadent. Did we play any music?? I really cant remember..."

Over the next 6 months in a haze of influential substances and like minded musical tastes they finally emerged from the studio...the poppy seeds were sown.

Influenced by the music of the late 60s early 70s, "We knew we had something different from what was happening at the time." And the songs? "They basically wrote themselves." said Jimmy.
Addie added, "We were pretty inspired at the time. Tunes were just pouring out of us...hot fucking lava baby!"

Through mismanagement and all the industry bullshit that goes along with it, Dreams Of Venus were just another promising act thrown onto the shit pile of never to be heard bands, before them and after them..

But after being 'shelved', for so long, their 'lost tapes' made their way back to the band. Their brand of heavy psychedelic/stoner rock and with no short supply of wah- wah, spot on harmonies and what Addie once described as "We have a secret weapon... the Woolly Mammoth" referring to the tone of Jimmy's bass, rounding out the trio's sound.

Once Addie and Jimmy heard the tapes after all this time... Jimmy said, "It blew me away how the songs held up."

Addie added, "The DOV stuff was pretty much a distant cool memory for me. When Jimmy resurrected it, I admit I was a bit skeptical. After a listen I was surprised that for a run & gun, live 2 track, how good the recording sounded. Performances were solid too. When the label wanted to release it I said, "well hot shit, let's put it out!"

Upon hearing a few songs, 2 European labels, Dyamond Roxx and Hellven Records scooped them up.

Now for the first time they'll be releasing what would've been their debut album Songs From The Essex Street Market

Their first single Cause Of Death will be released on November 1st.  Full album out January 20th.

Debut video can be seen here or below

Rattlesnake Venom Trip - Dead Empire (Album Review)

Date Released: September 17th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Dead Empire Tracklisting

Dead Empire

Cause You Know

Vicious Cycle

Hypnotic State

How This Unfolds

Amongst Their Gods

The Heavy Pour

Older Worlds End

Members

Evan Davell – Guitar

Shane Shook – Drums

Matt Tackett – Bass

Kevin Schindel – Vocals and Guitar

Review

Dead Empire is the debut album from Thrash/Stoner Metal collective Rattlesnake Venom Trip. A band made up of members from bands such as Neon Worship and Mouth Of The Architect. I was lucky to hear this album earlier this year and was impressed by the multitude of different styles the band included on this album. 

Dead Empire is a consistently stylish album that is primarily a Thrash driven Sludge/Stoner Metal album with shades of Doom Metal for a more dramatic modern sound. Taking influences from bands such as Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Mastodon, Baroness and Black Sabbath, Rattlesnake Venom Trip could have easily fitted superbly well on the Relapse Records roster from around fifteen to twenty years ago. 

That doesn’t make this album a mere copycat, as the band bring their own heavy dual THRASH based approach to the album which you can hear to great effect on opening song Dead Empire. The song has a subtle Psych Rock drive that works superbly well with the onslaught of classic Heavy Metal sounds. Kevin’s vocals are quite different to his work on Mouth Of The Architect with the vocals being more from the classic style of 1980’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. 

Second song Cause You Know is a more bombastic upbeat affair with a Psych Stoner Rock groove perhaps slightly reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne’s classic solo material with the fast-paced aggressive guitars. There’s a fantastic classic based 80’s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal mentality which maybe considered as CLASSIC ROCK but the band add a fresh Sludgy Rock spin with some mighty fine Psychedelic noises being played throughout the song.

Third song Vicious Circle opens with a mighty fine riff that echoes THIN LIZZY guitar riff worship which is one my favourite kind of grooves to open a song with. The song moves into a faster Punk Rock sound but the band is still operating within the limits of Stoner Rock/Metal. The vocals are excellent and have a modern day feel to them. The music is the real star here, with Rattlesnake Venom Trip showing 1980’s Heavy Metal Excess but with a WEEDIAN attitude that is quite refreshing to hear.

Fourth song Hypnotic State opens with a more laid-back approach with a Post-Stoner groove merging with a low-key Psych Rock riff. The song takes time to fully get going but it’s good to see a different side to the band. Lush melodic vocals from Kevin and epic instrumental work from the rest of the band (Matt, Shane and Evan) leave you wanting more. The song maybe have that late 1990’s/early 2000’s sound but the Progressive beats make this standout track on the album.

The second half of the album more that matches the excitement the first four songs laid down with perhaps Rattlesnake Venom Trip playing faster and more aggressive sounds on great tracks such as: How This Unfolds, The Heavy Pour and Older Worlds End. 

Expect catchy and sublime rhythms that see the band play highly complex, technical and progressive grooves that I didn’t expect. These guys have been involved within the Heavy Rock/Metal underground scene with tons of different bands and they bring their “A” game to the party with this great album.

Dead Empire maybe “RETRO” but it’s also thoroughly “MODERN” and it’s great to see the band merging these two worlds for a full on HEAVY METAL and WEEDIAN based experience. With sublime production values, Rattlesnake Venom Trip should hopefully be more well known within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene.

This album is an absolute delight and will entertain you for a long to cime. If you want an album WHERE THE RIFF IS KING then accept no substitute. These guys are the real deal.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Matthew from the band for promo. 

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Introduce Yourselves: InTechnicolour

What is the name of your band?

InTechnicolour

What is the genre of music that you play?

Loud! Is that a genre? Our new album 'Midnight Heavyweight' is basically groovy rock music with some big pop choruses!

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

InTechnicolour was born in one of those damp Leeds student basements (if you've studied in Leeds, you know exactly what we're taking about) back in 2012? 2011? It was a 'muck about' project between guitarist Dave and an old friend of ours, Ed, on drums. No vocals, unreasonably complicated songs and a whole heap of self-indulgence. 

From there, the project languished on a hard drive for a few years before Dave dug out the tunes, sent them to me and we decided to re-write them with vocals, a little less 7/8 and a little more groove. After that, we loved the music we had created so decided it was about time to transform it from just a 'project' into a full band. That's when InTechnicolour was born proper! (Basically when Vlad joined, cuz he's a driving force like no other!)

What can people expect from your music?

Fuzz! Catchy hooks! Riffs! And some heartfelt, personal lyrics!

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

Our new record Midnight Heavyweight, out Nov 4th (momma always said, always be pluggin)

Where can people find you on Social Media?

All the socials, Insta for the cool kids, Facebook for the dad rockers!

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || BandCamp

Cape Town’s instrumental post rock band Yndian Mynah release ‘Gestalt’, their final single off their upcoming album

Influenced by DIY culture, Yndian Mynah started off by playing tightly packed intimate floor shows and quickly elevated to festival stages across South Africa. In 2019, they released their debut album ‘Velvet Youth’ - recorded, produced and released through their own independent label, Mount Wave Studio. Singles from the album, including ‘Ridge Forrester’, “Massimo, Don’t Go” and “Chai Tea”, would go on to represent their dynamic compositions. Staying away from conventional rock music, Yndian Mynah is not bound by language or genre, allowing for impressive high-energy live shows that focus on a visual and instrumental journey, left wide open for personal interpretation. Expect large guitar-driven songs led by spontaneous structural changes, with a tendency for heavy breakdowns and momentary euphoria.

Today sees the release of Gestalt, the final single to be released before the new album The Boys Scribbled Like Mad out on the 25th November via The Good Times Co.

“Gestalt is a play on the idea of togetherness being more powerful than the individual. The feeling we get when we play, and write music together makes us feel part of something special and bigger than ourselves as individuals. The song is a play on American and British rock themes, from American intervals to brit-rock themes found in Stone Roses. The song is built on simple structures that everyone plays, but together sounds big and uniform. Adding the human element to an electronic structure as a nod to the original foundation of the theory in Gestalt teaching.” - comments the ban

Listen to Gestalt below and buy the song here

Follow Yndian Mynah

Instagram | Facebook

Ruff Majik reveals new single “She's Still a Goth” From Upcoming Album Elektrik Ram

South African stoner rock cult Ruff Majik releases their first new music since the critically acclaimed 2020 album The Devil’s Cattle. Frontman and chief songwriter, Johni Holiday splatters latest single She’s Still A Goth with 80's tinged goth saturated rock and roll synth-wave. Biting down on a dirty riff and even filthier backbeat the song includes a doom infused breakdown and highly flammable swagger throughout. The track is the first single from their highly anticipated upcoming album Elektrik Ram, which drops in April 2023.

Johni and his wife's (Anni Buchner of Ale & Cake Illustration) fascination with b-grade horror and gothic imagery has always been influential in the lyrical themes and overall image of the band. When Anni fell in love once more with 80's tinged gothic synthwave during the pandemic, it inspired him to write a tune in ode to her - featuring references to classic gothic imagery whilst still fitting neatly into the realm of Tarantino-esque desert rock.

It's just a love song. Nothing more, nothing less. Packaged neatly in a ghoulish package…” - Johni Holiday

Buy / Stream She’s Still a Goth out now on Mongrel Records

https://orcd.co/shesstillagoth
https://mongrelrecords1.bandcamp.com/track/shes-still-a-goth

Follow Ruff Majik

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify

Faetooth - Remnants Of The Vessel (Album Review)

Date Released: October 28th 2022. Record Label: Dune Altar. Formats: DD

Remnants Of The Vessel: Tracklisting

(i) naissance

Echolalia

La Sorciere

She Cast A Shadow

(ii) limbo

Remains

Discarnate

Strange Ways

(iii) moribund

Saturn Devouring His Son

Members

Ashla Chavez Razzsno - Guitars, Vocals

Ari May - Guitars, Vocals

Jenna Garcia - Bass, Vocals

Rah Kanan - Drums

Review

Remnants Of The Vessel is the debut album from Psychedelic Sludge/Doom Metallers Faetooth who are a new creative entity for myself despite releasing some acclaimed releases within the underground scene over the last few years. Their music is perhaps described as between Sludge Metal and Doom Metal with flavours of Alternative Metal and Shoegaze though with their the band focusing more upon a Doomgaze style for their main sound.

Their debut album is a highly confident and deeply emotional affair that has shades of Prog Metal with perhaps a deeply social conscience to the band's lyrical content. The vocals are intense and emotional with the band opting for clean and harsh vocals throughout the album. Quite Gothic in the main creative sense of the album though I do admire the Prog Metal sound of the album that reminds me of TOOL in places. 

Faetooth are a hugely talented band who bring their own spin to the Doomgaze field. Though, they do add their own personal experiences to the album which I applaud them for. So expect a more personal and social based album.

The early stages of the album merges elements of Post-Rock, Post-Metal and Psych Metal with a Post-Blackened approach on songs such as: Echolalia, La Sorciere and She Cast A Shadow. 

The instrumental work is aggressive, bleak and surprisingly melodic even with the harsh vocals, howls, screeches and growls that accompanies the album. I've seen the band described as "fairy-doom" on BandCamp and they're anything but that. The album does include some very cool light sounding Ambient/Psychedelic sounds but Faetooth comes alive when the gloomy and bombastic Doom/Sludge Metal grooves appear. They have a more manic energy to them but I do admire the Ambient Instrumental sounds they include on the album.

If you dig bands such as WINDHAND, BORIS, YOB and Pallbearer then Faetooth falls into the same categories as those great bands. So you should definitely check out Faetooth but the album shows they deliver their own style of music to entice listeners with.

The album continues its rich vein of form with outstanding songs such as: Remains, Strange Ways and Saturn Devouring His Son which remain my favourite parts of the album. As Faetooth cast a gloomy presence with Post-Doom, Heavy Sludge Grooves and beautifully played Ambient Acoustics which are sometimes built around by the fantastic vocals from Ashla, Jenna and Ari.

Remnants Of The Vessel is an uncompromising vision of modern day Doom/Sludge Metal with powerful social messages behind it all. The production is excellent and one that allows Faetooth to shine from start to finish. 

Faetooth are a band who have the potential to make a real name for themselves within the Doom/Sludge Metal scene in the years to come. This album is a major triumph on all levels.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Justin at Dune Altar for the promo. 

Remnants Of The Vessel will be available to buy now on DD via Dune Altar

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Shallow Black - The Second Manuscript (Album Review) And Exclusive Album Premiere

Date Released: October 28th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

The Second Manuscript: Tracklisting

Intro

Chapter One (Consume-ate)

Chapter Two (Burning At The Ends)

Cleanser

Chapter Three (Damn-Age)

Manipulation Of The Human Soul By A Blind Robot Vomiting Algorithms

Chapter 4&5 (King Venom + Hack)

Something In The Way

Members

Erik Bigelow - Everything

Review

Shallow Black return with their next exciting dark and bleak chapter. The Second Manuscript continues the distorted and industrial based journey they made with their first album. The album is quite a gloomy and experimental take on Experimental Doom/Sludge Metal. With Erik taking a more digitised hardcore sound to the album especially on the violent opening song Intro. Parts NIN in places, this heavily stylised and digitised version of Doom/Sludge Metal is a tough listen but Erik pulls no punches with this gloomy offering.

Second song Chapter One (Consume-ate) is less volatile but still remains cautiously bleak and heavy in all the right places. Offering a grungier and industrial style of Post-Black Metal, Doom and Sludge Metal, the song is more riff-centric with Shallow Black adding warped Psychedelic elements to the song. The song is quite fast-paced with the harsh sludgy vocals having a slight Post-Metal feel. The song runs near the eight minutes mark and Shallow Black pulls out all the stops by bringing a more Extreme style of music that I didn't expect. The instrumental work is aggressive and perhaps too raw in places but Erik remains true to his creative self with some epic riffs being played against a backdrop of Industrial/Noise/Ambient/Glitch based sounds.

Third song Chapter Two (Burning At The Ends)  sees Erik draw influence from bands such as the Post Metal world but still retaining that harsh Sludge Metal backdrop. The creepy soundbytes and soundscapes offer a more Occult/Doom based theme that allows Erik to throw some classic distorted Doom Metal riffage along the way. The song is still driven by heavy Industrial tones and experimental vibes for one of the standout tracks on the album. When the Progressive elements appear, the album does become more challenging to listen to. However, it's still a wicked style of Extreme Metal that offers many moments of extended guitar solos that make you want to hear more of.

Fourth track Cleanser is another short paced track that matches the experimental vision of the opening track but perhaps not the heaviness or intensity of the song. Though, it's good for Erik to slow things down a bit for the listener to gather their thoughts before the next round of nightmarish sound that he plays on the album.

Fifth song Chapter Three (Damn Age) continues the story from Chapter Two but maybe with elements of Church Of Misery and Electric Wizard based Stoner grooves at the start of the song. That was another unexpected surprise. As Erik pays homage to his Stoner Metal roots on this track whilst still bringing a whole style of Post-Blackened heaviness to the album. The song is one of the most stylish offerings on the album with Erik's vocal delivery and Ambient/Trance/Spaced Out rhythms building upto an exciting finish. The song perhaps focuses more on catchy riffs than levels of pure aggression. Though, it's still another punishing song to listen to at times.

The next song Manipulation Of The Human Soul By A Blind Robot Vomiting Algorithms is more of Ambient/Industrial track with a heavy digitised vocal performance which can be quite relevant and chilling at the same time.

Seventh song Chapter 4&5 (King Venom + Hack) has been bundled together which opens with an iconic speech from legendary movie The Matrix. This track feels like it could have easily came from the soundtrack of the classic movie. The song is nineties Industrial metal through and through but with that Experimental Doom/Sludge Metal sound that Erik has used for the majority of the album keeping things modern and brutally heavy at the same time.. The song does take time to fully get going but when Erik hits form, the riffs are intense with a sublime Psychedelic/Trance edge. 

The final song is what impressed me the most with a cover of Nirvana classic Something In The Way. A song that has gained more momentum since the release of The Batman film. Erik's version doesn't stray too far from the original with a more colder offering. The song veers from Grunge, Post-Punk and Industrial Metal. The vocals are on the more extreme side but this remains an outstanding cover.

The Second Manuscript is a haunting, bleak and nihilistic release that showcases the more Extreme side to Erik's musical output. However, the album still contains a high amount of great riffs and sounds to fully get behind. 

Shallow Black have released one of the most intense and darkest releases you'll hear this year. This is another must have release from Shallow Black. 

WOW. Now I need a long rest to recover from the darkness of it all....

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Erik for the promo. The Second Manuscript will be available to buy on DD from October 28th 2022.

You can listen to this sublime album with this Exclusive Album Premiere.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

You can buy merch from this link

THAMMUZ - Sons Of The Occult (Album Review) & Exclusive Album Premiere

Date Released: October 28th 2022. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD

Sons Of The Occult: Tracklisting

01. Electric Sheep

02. Sons Of The Occult

03. Guayota

04. Had A Blast

05. Self-taught Man

06. Death Songs

07. Dumuzid’s Descent

08. People From The Sky

09. Peyote

10. Insomnia

Review

Sons Of The Occult is the new album from Psych Stoner Rockers Thammuz who impressed the Stoner Rock underground greatly with their debut album Into The Great Unknown. This time round the band are now signed to Italian Powerhouse Cult Label Argonauta Records and the band seems to have moved into the gloomier style of Occult based Doom/Stoner Rock.

Thammuz have a greater sense of urgency to their music with a more vibrant FUZZIER and GLOOMIER sound to their music. The band is still fuelled by the legendary 90’s Californian Desert/Stoner Rock scene but this time the album now has an edgy Occult Rock sound that works superbly well with their melodic Psychedelic grooves.

The opening two songs Electric Sheep and Sons Of The Occult have Thammuz playing their high voltage blend of Psych Stoner Rock/Metal with things taking a more sinister turn on second track Sons Of The Occult. The song is more FUZZED UP and has a distinctive DISTORTED AMPLIFIER groove that still harks back to bands such as KYUSS, FU MANCHU but now with the doom riffs of Electric Wizard and Black Sabbath. The vocals are calm at first but soon move into more aggressive territory that only adds to the band’s creative presence.

Third song Guayota is a superbly played Instruemental affair with the right balance of Psych Rock, Desert Rock and Stoner Rock with heavy melodic outbursts of gloomy Fuzz Rock and Americana soundscapes for a different style of music that we haven’t heard from the band. The instrumental work is excellent with Thammuz playing a high amount of extended jams towards the end of the song.

Fourth song Had A Blast starts off slowly with a classic Truckfighters style Desert Rock solo and the vocals have a slight Alt Rock approach. The song is constantly gloomy and has a simple creative premise with the sublime guitars at the start before Thammuz explode into a heavier style of Stoner Rock/Metal. Perhaps one of the standout tracks on the album that demands repeated listens. 

Thammaz has written and recorded ten songs for this album and I will be here all day describing in great detail what each song contains. The first four tracks give you a good indication on where the rest of the album ends up. Though, Thammuz do have a few more creative tricks up their sleeve for other songs on the album such as: Had A Blast, Self Taught Man, Dumuzid’s Descent, Peyote and Insomnia.

The band started mixing things up a bit and even showed musical influence from bands such as The Doors on Self-taught Man. The vocals and lyrics most definitely do have a Jim Morrision swagger to them but all told through the power of Stoner Rock/Metal.

Things do become gloomier, heavier, sinister and even weirder on the later stages of the album. This doesn’t feel or sound like the Thammuz I encountered on their acclaimed debut release. Thammuz now has a more dangerous presence around them and I admire their new bleak creative vision. 

The album is refreshingly daring and different to standout from the Stoner Rock/Metal underground. Production values are excellent with the band offering a more realistic approach with their music. Sons Of The Occult is a rebellious and thrilling album that will offer all fans of the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene a damn good time.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

You can hear the album with this exclusive album premiere courtesy of Grand Sounds PR and Argonauta Records

Sons Of The Occult will be available to buy from October 28th 2022 via Argonauta Records from October 28th 2022.

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram 

rifle - Repossessed (Album Review)

Date Released: October 05th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Repossessed: Tracklisting

Seven Thousand Rifle

Fiend

Sonic Rage

The Thrill Is Back

Madness

Demon Djinn

Spirit Rise

Members

Alejandro Suni - Guitar, Vocals, Bass

Cesar Araujo - Drums

Magno Mendoza - Lead Guitar

Review

Peruvian Stoner Rockers rifle make a mighty impression with their debut album Repossessed. An album that sees the band firing on all 1970's Seedy Psych Rock cylinders with a fine sideline in Fuzz Rock, Retro Doom, Stoner Rock and Punk RAWK energy. There is a very cool simplicity to the band's music that makes it unashamedly retro and modern sounding at the same time. The riffs are plentiful with a Classic Rock flavour with echoes of Proto/Garage Rock influences that you can hear from the start.

This album is full of Classic Hard Rock Swagger and the band impresses the most with their extended vintage Swirling Doom based jams and grooves. The opening two tracks Seven Thousand Rifle and Fiend show different sides to the band with the opening song being more of Psych Doom/Stoner Rock song with classic rock vibes and a grubby rebellious attitude to match. Fiend is more Retro/Classic Rock influenced but with a slightly menacing Proto-Doom sound with the Heavy Psych Jams being played whenever the band require HEAVY SWIRLING sounds.

Third song Sonic Rage is one of the more heaviest and trippiest tracks on the album with tons of FUZZ ROCK and GUITAR REVERB being played throughout the track. The heavy psychedelic garage rock vibes can be quite screechy in places but this is a fantastic and superbly written track packed full of aggressive melodies and classic sounding musical composition. Shades of 70's era Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus appear on this track but perhaps with a Pink Floyd-esque attitude especially with the more Psychedelic parts of the song.

Fourth song The Thrill Is Back is a bass-driven Punk Rock delight with a twisted Garage Rock afterthought where rifle offer gloomier creative choices where the vocals and lyrics are concerned. The song is very trippy and psychedelic despite the raw coolness of the production values held within the album.

The final three songs Madness, Demon Djinn and Spirit Rise sees rifle venture further into the Classic Doom Rock underground scene but still showing huge promise of playing first-rate Freaked Out Psych/Stoner Rock jams. Demon Djinn and Spirit Rise are the standout tracks on the album with rifle having more time to play with to enhance their overall great sound.

Repossessed is first rate musical entertainment if you like your albums that little bit DIRTY, SCUZZY and ultimately FREAKY. rifle play a wide array of classic jams and grooves from the Doom/Stoner Rock Underground scene but one that is spliced with other areas of great styles of Punk Rock, Garage Rock and Psych Rock. 

rifle have released a devilishly and one of the most superbly entertaining albums from the South American Doom/Stoner Rock scene. Give this album a chance and you'll be surprised what awaits you.

Fantastic stuff...

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

BandCamp | Instagram