Release Date: May 31st 2024. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Murder At Maple Mountain: Tracklisting
1.Into The Depths
2.Bitter Little Man
3.Fightmaker Street
4.PV 444
5.Woodshed Blues
6.The Crust
7.The Kids Of Rumble Village
8.Shortcomings And Longstockings
9.Run Boy Run
10.2002
Band Members
Mio Hällagård - Vocals (Greenleaf)
Mio Stjernfeldt - Guitar (Grand Cadaver, Novarupta)
Mio Wegeland - Bass (Domkraft)
Mio Baier - Guitar (Besvärjelsen, Vorder)
Mio Karlsson - Drums (The Moth Gatherer)
Review
Young Acid is perhaps what happens when members from some of the finest Doom/Stoner Metal bands that Sweden has to offer decides to form a new band. However, you’ll be surprised to hear that Young Acid is not a straight up Stoner Rock/Metal band but one that deals within Punk Rock and Garage Rock grooves with elements of Fuzz Rock, Stoner Rock and Doom Rock only appearing when they absolutely need to.
The band which is made up of members from bands such as Greenleaf, Domkraft, Grand Cadaver, Besvärjelsen and The Moth Gatherer could have easily released a straight up Doom/Stoner Metal album but they went a different route with Murder At Maple Mountain. The record is a glorious mix of 90’s Punk Rock and Alt Rock attitude with flashes of modern day Psychedelic aggression.
There’s a heavy and raw sounding appeal to the album which sees Young Acid embrace the Punk Rock and perhaps Street Doom creative philosophy throughout the album with the band creating sounds closer to The Hives, Kvelertak, MC5, QOTSA, Them Creative Vultures and The Stooges with shades of the bands the guys are known for appearing very minimalistically. Everything sounds downright original and super fresh with the songs all standing on their own creative merits with a non-stop supply of Heavy Rock sounds that have a CLASSIC quality to them.
Murder At Maple Mountain has a furious and fast-paced sound with sludgy Punk driven guitars having echoes of modern Psych Rock with sublime vocals from Greenleaf’s Mio Hällagård to match. It seems all of the Young Acid members have all adopted the first name Mio for this project. Perhaps to have same air of mystery to the record or basically to have a FUCK IT rebellious attitude.
Young Acid doesn't stick to one set sound within the album with the band happy to change course just for the sheer hell of it. Explore the opening tracks of Into The Depths, Bitter Little Man and Fightmaker Street which sees Young Acid pull away from different strands of music from one song to the next. Garage Rock sounds transform into heavier Psychedelic pastures with an almost Post-Punk and Occult Rock energy moving across the later tracks such as PV 4444, Woodshed Blues and The Crust.
Even the vocals become more experimental and varied to match the aggressive charge of the sounds that Young Acid play on the later stages of the record. The Punk Rock and Garage Rock aspect of the album is what allows Young Acid to be taken seriously on their own merits with spiky lyrics even having a more dramatic DOOM ROCK appearance that you initially expect.
The production techniques used for Murder At Maple Mountain have a vintage quality to them which could bring a Classic Hard Rock atmosphere to the whole album with Young Acid not fully turning their back on the modern Stoner Rock/Metal world that they’ve made their names with originally across their respective bands.
Can we call Young Acid a SUPERGROUP. I suppose we can and they’re one of the most interesting SUPERGROUP based projects (alongside SLOWER) that I’ve heard this year and they’ve also delivered one of the most superbly entertaining and action packed debut albums as well.
Murder At Maple Mountain is a must have release if you like your music on the more dangerous and rebellious side of life.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Sheltered Life for the promo.
Murder At Maple Mountain will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records from Friday 31st May 2024.
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
