Release Date: June 02nd 2023. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Dab City: Tracklisting
Dab City
King Of Weed
Cannonbongs (the ballad of Burnt Reynolds as lamented by Gentleman Dixie Dave Collins)
C.A.R.T.S
Hippie Stick
Diamonds And Flower
American Pot
Review
Legendary Doom/Stoner Metallers BONGZILLA return with their new album Dab City and it's everything you wanted from an album about the mighty WEED. The band opted for a back to basics approach for this album compared to the 2021 effort WEEDSCONSCIN. This album is less Spaced Out and Psychedelic than that great album with the band returning to their earlier sound. There's still many moments of LOW & SLOW based Psychedelic energy on the record but mostly it's BONGZILLA playing a more aggressive style of FUZZED UP Reefer Based Madness which comes into play throughout the epic opening title track.
Dab City offers almost twelve minutes of a more Punk based and raw-sounding musical opus from the band. The lyrics and vocals offer a more edgy performance with subtle hits of dark comedic humour. The grooves are once again powered by SEEDY and DOWN TUNED themes with a slight Progressive feel on the longer extended and drawn out jams. BONGZILLA add traces of Distorted Psychedelic sounds that have a sense of DARK PARANOIA to them. The music is widely distorted which is a big essence to BONGZILLA's overall sound which makes it one of the perfect tracks about WEEDIAN culture and the raw surroundings that live within this track.
The sounds are constantly harsh and unpredictable with BONGZILLA playing wicked sounding jams that are quite melodic in places. Dab City runs around fifty five minutes in length and continues playing their bombastic and hedonistic style of WEEDIAN metal with areas of distortion creeping in on the second song King Of Weed.
King Of Weed has a more structured approach to the opening track with the band adding eerie moments of Psych Metal and becoming more interested in playing bass-heavy Sludge grooves. The song is slower with BONGZILLA taking a dramatic pause to allow the listener to soak up the aggressive and violent nature of the lyrics and vocals delivery used for this track. However, this is still an addictive song that the band have conjured up here.
Third track Cannonbongs (the ballad of Burnt Reynolds as lamented by Gentleman Dixie Dave Collins) needs to be one of the best sounding tracks on the album with a title like that. And you know what, it is. As BONGZILLA adds classic sounding soundbytes to the mix. The subtle sludgy themes allows the band to play a slower style of music that has a more AMPLIFIER based presence. The song runs past the thirteen minutes mark and the music is mostly of the LOW & SLOW variety and could be considered as an ANTHEM for the WEEDIAN Generation. As the track has a massive "CALL TO ARMS" or "UPRISING" vibe to it. BONGZILLA experimented with their music more here with different musical styles beginning to appear especially with the fantastic drumming and subtle changes to the Psychedelic flow of the album.
Fourth song C.A.R.T.S is the more straight forward track on the album with BONGZILLA playing a classical style of Doom/Stoner Metal but with that slightly rebellious and outlaw feeling appearing within the sound of the guitars and killer vocals yet again. The song has a superb "Stop/Start" approach within the heavy grooves being played throughout the track.
Fifth Song Hippie Stick opens with a KILLER opening soundbyte which draws up the feeling of the whole album before BONGZILLA get straight down to business into playing more WEEDIAN and DOWN-TUNED fuzzy carnage. The song feels like it could have easily come from the Weedsconsin recording sessions. As that has a similar sound to that great album. However, this track also allows the band to offer the album a more exciting creative narrative with its multi-layered approach with the lyrics that ultimately has a Socially Aware Conscience to them.
The final two tracks of "Diamonds And Flower" and American Pot turn the American Dream on its head with its smoke-fuelled commentary on modern day life. This part of the album is perhaps the most cynical sounding of the album. However, BONGZILLA pull this all off with their legendary WEEDIAN charm and finely tuned powerful riffs which drift further into the LOW & SLOW abyss.
Dab City is quite thought provoking and brutally honest in places. However, there's a huge amount of fun to be had with this great album as BONGZILLA have created a high amount of FIRST RATE grooves throughout the album.
This album will no doubt become a firm favourite with BONGZILLA's established fan-base and also within the Doom/Stoner Metal community. Dab City is also one of their best albums they've released to date and may ultimately be my favourite album of theirs yet. That's how great this album is.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Dab City will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday June 02nd 2023.
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