Release Date: February 07th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD
Swamp Lake City - Track Listing:
1. The Giant Awaits
2. Miasto Wśród Bagien
Members
Mateusz - gtr/voc
Joanna - bass
Tomek - drums
Review
Swamp Lake City is the new EP from Polish Doom/Stoner Power Trio Volt Ritual who take the cool and sleaziness of Monster Magnet and merge it with the heavy FUZZY grooves of bands such as Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and FU MANCHU. Whilst not an entirely new concept, this doesn’t stop Volt Ritual adding a slight Doomedelic spin into their music especially within the outstanding opening track The Giant Awaits.
There’s a Grunge/Punk Rock aesthetic behind Mateusz's vocals that has shades of Dave Wyndorf self aware style of bleak cynicism complimenting the classic sounding Stoner Rock based lyrics. The music does have a distinctive Sludgy atmosphere with a vibrant down-tuned and fuzzy reverb atmosphere allowing the music to become disruptively addictive along the way.
Second song Miasto Wśród Bagien is a solid FUZZED UP affair with a subtle Black Sabbath/Electric Wizard style of sound appearing with that rebellious Punk Rock sound. The song is wholly sung in Polish and I believe this is the title track written in Polish but I could be completely wrong on that score. However, the song has quite an “in your face” attitude with a murky Psych/Stoner Rock sound coming into focus. There’s a killer bass line provided by Joanna with Tomek’s drums having a more forceful attitude compared to the opening track.
Swamp Lake City is an absolutely fantastic EP that allows Volt Ritual to achieve a lot both creatively and musically speaking with a wicked selection of different Doom, Grunge, Fuzz and Stoner Rock passages which can be quite melodic and brilliantly aggressive at the same time.
All I can say is MORE PLEASE. As I’m really looking forward to what Volt Ritual will deliver in the future.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Solid Rock PR for the promo,
Swamp Lake City will be available to buy on CD/DD from Friday 07th February 2025.
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