Release Date: August 04th 2023. Record Label: Mongrel Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Hope Is Heavy: Tracklisting
Demon Behemoth
Progeneration
Caligulater
A Planet, A Deathstar
Dead Weight (ft Johni Holiday)
Trillion Tonne SUn
Review:
Hope Is Heavy is the new album from South African Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Acid Magus and expertly delivers on the huge potential they delivered with their acclaimed debut album. This record explores a more world-weary dynamic to their overall sound with the band taking their love of Black Sabbath, SLEEP and Pink Floyd to another creative level. The sound is more dynamically powerful especially within the FUZZ aspect of their overall sound. Flashes of Prog Rock sonic wizardry works superbly throughout the album.
Vocals are quite different compared to their debut release, as they have a subtle classic approach which comes across brilliantly well within the excellent opening tracks of Demon Behemoth and Progeneration. The stripped back Grunge aspect heard on their last album is nowhere to be seen with Acid Magus going for the Doomed Out Fuzz route for their style of Stoner grooves. The sound is never too flashy and Acid Magus adds the right amount of AMPLIFIER based heaviness with swirling Psychedelic noises becoming more Space Rock based.
The first two tracks are perfect appetisers for Acid Magus to deliver a fine main course of sublime modern day riffs that show a touch of class when the classic era of Fuzz Rock and Stoner Metal combine for a record that has many outstanding twists and turns on tracks such as Caligulater and "A Planet, A Deathstar" which should impress fans of the Star Wars universe being given the Doomed Out creative treatment.
Hope Is Heavy allows Acid Magus the perfect opportunity to constantly evolve their own original style of Psychedelic Doomed based Stoner Metal. The band do add a few moments of Ambient Rock, Classic Rock and even Post-Rock to give their music a more grounded feel. The record even shows a fun experimental side when Johni Holiday of Ruff Majik fame makes an appearance within one of the album's most OTT and inventive tracks Dead Weight. A song that sees both parties play something a little bit different than they're known for. Quirky, experimental and most of all with a sense of gloomy demented FUZZED up fun. Perhaps the heaviest, trippiest and far out tracks on the album. The FUZZ is strong within Dead Weight and the Psychedelic energy offers a cool throwback to the classic heyday of 70's Heavy Psychedelic Rock with a kick-ass free-flowing and gloomy Space Rock energy that ends the track on a mighty high.
The final song Trillion Tonne Sun is the standout track on the album with Acid Magus operating with a pure "Apocalyptic" creative vision for this track. The music starts slowly with Acid Magus adding levels of Distorted and Heavy Sounds that merge into Pink Floyd and King Buffalo influenced Post-Whatever extended jams. The sound is deliciously heavy and freaky in places with Acid Magus playing a lush Desert Rock extended jam. The song slowly builds up to some mighty Prog Stoner based grooves with superb vocals to match.
The album benefits from first rate production values that allows Acid Magus delivering on the promise of perhaps being the best Psych Doom/Stoner Metal band currently from the South African underground scene. Along with Ruff Majik, Acid Magus are destined for bigger and better things within the global Doom/Stoner Metal scene and Hope Is Heavy is the main evidence to back that point up. This is a masterclass of modern day Psychedelic Stoner Metal that has seen Acid Magus release another AOTY contender.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Plug Music Agency for the promo.
Hope Is Heavy will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Mongrel Records from August 04th 2023.
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