Release Date: September 08th 2023. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Low Desert Surf Club: Tracklisting
1.Cocaine Hippo
2.California
3.Airwolf
4.Surf Queen
5.Dune Buggy
6.Here Comes the Flood
7.Hazy Snake
8.The Last Cowboy
9.Mantra
Members
Kevin Gernaey - lead guitar
Sam Nuytens - drums
Jeroen Van Troyen - vocals, guitar
Bert Wynsberghe - bass
Review:
Low Desert Surf Club is the new album from Heavy Psychedelic Stoner Rockers Fire Down Below who return after a five year absence. The album is a non-stop and exciting style of Alternative Rock, Grunge, Doom and Space Rock flourishes which proves why they’re currently signed to powerhouse label Ripple Music.
Low Desert Surf Club has an epic Progressive feel and attitude which is heard on the stunning opening track of Cocaine Hippo which brings a classic Desert/Stoner Rock groove with a ferocious Psychedelic and Progressive sound with classic Heavy Metal vocals. With a thrilling sideline in sounds paying homage to bands such as Truckfighters, Fu Manchu, Kyuss and Monster Magnet but with Fire Down Below being in command of their own creative destiny. The music is also catchy and downright aggressive with its fast-paced style being played at a breakneck speed.
Second track California perfectly captures the classic Californian Desert/Stoner Rock scene with a thunderous 90’s attitude bringing a heavy slab of Grungy atmospherics along for the wild ride. The music is constantly melodic and has a slight modern sounding Post-Stoner attitude with subtle hints of FUZZ guitar reverb.
Third track AIrwolf has a more “Red Fang” vibe to the track but with Fire Down Below fast paced attitude with sludgy guitars allowing the band to bring a heavier and doom based style to the album. Fire Down Below has a more free-flowing dynamic to the song especially with the lyrics and vocals allowing the band to think outside the box whilst the music retains that heavy WEEDIAN and DESERT ROCK flavour.
Fourth song Surf Queen opens with a fabulous “Surf Rock” guitar sound with hints of Monster Magnet energy with thunderous sludgy guitars allowing Fire Down Below even having a more duelling aspect between the guitars wonderfully played by Kevin and Jereon. The Surf Rock aspect breathes new heavy creative energy into Fire Down Below’s progressive instrumental jams. The vocals from Jereon feel more essential when they ultimately appear. One of the standout tracks without question.
Fire Down Below continue with their homage to the Californian way of Desert/Stoner Rock life on tracks such as Dune Buggy, Here Comes The Flood and The Last Cowboy. The band even adapts to a more Post-Rock sound when the music opts for a “less is more” way to deliver their heavy intense grooves. The swirling Space Rock themes is essentially what allows Low Desert Surf Club to be full of intense Post-Whatever sludgy passages on the later stages of the album.
Richly observed production values allows Low Desert Surf Club to perhaps become Fire Down Below breakthrough album and propelling them on to bigger and better things. The songwriting is bang on point and is another one of the albums main selling points to entice listeners with.
Low Desert Surf Club is an Desert/Stoner Rock album for the ages and with Ripple Music helping the guys once more then the Stoner Rock/Metal world can thank their lucky stars that bands such as Fire Down Below are still around making sublime albums such as this.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Low Desert Surf Club will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from 08th September 2023.
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