Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Format: CD/DD
Red River Black Roots - Tracklist
Acantha – 06:19
0315 – 04:30
Da Capo – 06:07
F.U. – 05:01
Red River – 04:51
Come Undone – 06:19
QuickSand – 07:15
Review
Psych Stoner Rockers Paranoid Reverb return in stunning fashion with their second album Red River Black Roots which builds upon the highly atmospheric grooves created on their acclaimed 2020 debut album. The record has a grittier and spaced out attitude with a massive wall of sound developing very early on within the album. Paranoid Reverb have a similar cosmic style of music next to the likes of ELDER, Weedpecker, King Buffalo and Howling Giant. Though, you hear classic Stoner Rock/Metal sounds influenced by the likes of KYUSS, Truckfighters and FU MANCHU.
There’s many different levels of Heavy Rock appearing with some cool switches to Doom and Sludge melodies. The whole thing has a gloomy progressive power that allows Paranoid Reverb venture into that classic Heavy Metal realm with some mighty guitar shredding appearing out of nowhere.
Perhaps it’s not as grounded as their debut album but there is a thrilling sense of musical adventure bursting out of the seams on tracks such as: Ancatha, 0315 and Da Capo which combines moody atmospherics with aggressive psychedelic landscapes. The vocals move from areas of Alt Rock, Grunge and Stoner Rock themes with a delicate Blues Rock touch that appear in the quieter and most emotionally charged parts of the album.
Paranoid Reverb even manage to find the time to perform a subtle moody Blues Rock environment where everything played a delicate slow-to-mid pace but they sprinkle some distorted Psychedelic Doom measures within the ice-cold atmosphere. The band really start to impress more when they start thinking outside the Heavy Psychedelic sandbox and deliver some gritty soundscapes within the second half of the album.
Everything becomes quite gloomy when a theatrical Post-Rock and Ambient soundscape appears in the background with Paranoid Reverb offering a more refined style of music.
Red River Black Roots fully becomes a more dangerous and aggressive record to listen to when Paranoid Reverb fully embrace that Sludge Rock vibe within their music that dominates the second half of the album on tracks such as F.U., Come Undone and Quicksand. The great mix of raw sounding Stoner Rock passages melts away at the Psychedelic landscape with a stripped back swagger that forms a heavy Cosmic Doom delivery.
The lyrics aren’t as outlandish as you expect with Paranoid Reverb keeping everything real and never overthinking things. This allows the album to move along at a great pace with the whole album never overstaying itss welcome. Some parts can be brash with the raw-sounding production values but this is one of the albums main strengths with the record having a true honest feel to it all.
Red River Black Roots is an expertly produced record with Paranoid Reverb firing on all cylinders and delivering a superbly entertaining album from start to finish.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.
Red River Black Roots is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download via Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records).
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