Release Date: 04th January 2024. Record Label: Herby Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Abra Cannabra - Tracklisting
The Astronomer's Sign
Essence
Tomi Wizard
Desert
Fuara
U N Eye
Members
Ben Salomon - Vocals/Guitars/Bouzouki/Synths
Shai Leder - Bass/Backing Vocals
Yair Tavior - Drums/Percussion
Review
Abra Cannabra is the debut album from Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metallers SlowRepeaT who also play warped glitchy noises within their WEEDIAN and DOWN-TUNED creative outlook. The album has a very hollow and sludgy aesthetic sound which only adds to the gloomy surroundings of the whole album. The notes whilst melodic in places also sees SlowRepeaT pay homage to bands such as Black Sabbath, SLEEP and Shrinebuilder with the bands reliance on the low-end BASS GUITAR leading the way. The record has traces of Cosmic Rock with mind-altering Trance levels of distorted noises which allows SlowRepeaT to become masters of their own Spaced Out Domain.
There is an aggressive style of free-flowing AMPLIFIER DISTORTED rhythms within the opening stages of the album which can be heard on the sublime tracks of The Astronomer's Sign and Essence. You can be forgiven for mistaking this as an instrumental album from the opening song alone but the vocals from Ben Salomon appear within Essence that have a certain Church Of Misery approach to them. Ben's vocals are quite distinctive with the rough and ready destructive appetite that appears from them. The lyrics are continuously seedy and draw upon the classic era of Doom/Stoner Metal with the music perhaps becoming the main focus of the entire record. SlowRepeaT long drawn out Instrumental jams spliced with Heavy Psychedelic based murky grooves.
Abra Cannabra becomes a more interesting release with SlowRepeaT delving further into the Space Rock/Cosmic Rock environment of their music. As the music becomes more GROOVE based with a deceiving style of depth and heaviness that allows SlowRepeaT to bring moments of Distorted Drone and Paranoia to the mix on tracks such as Tomi Wizard and Desert. The LOW & SLOW delivery of Abra Cannabra is what allows the true levels of heaviness from SlowRepeaT to fully explore the different areas of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal which drifts from one epic riff to the next. The vocals on Desert are perhaps best described as Gregorian based chants that match the harsh and desolate down-tuned FUZZY and SLUDGY grooves that confidently moves into Drone Metal territory.
The final two songs of Fuara and U N Eye offer a brilliantly satisfying conclusion to a stunning debut release with SlowRepeaT playing all the right long drawn out notes to entice listeners with. The production values are quite harsh and abstract in places but it allows SlowRepeat to deliver their music with a certain sense of adventure and even reckless abandonment which leaves you wanting to hear more.
Abra Cannabra is a breath of fresh air to the underground Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal scene and I can see SlowRepeaT making a mighty impression within the scene and perhaps the Doom Charts themselves. Add this great album to your record collection right away. It's seriously that good...
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to SlowRepeaT for the promo.
Abra Cannabra will be available to buy on CD/DD from SlowRepeat from January 04th 2024.
Abra Cannabra will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from Herby Records from January 04th 2024.
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