Magmakammer - Before I Burn (Album Review)

Release Date: July 26th 2024. Record Label: Kozmik Artifactz / Evil Noise Recordings. Formats: Cassette/DD/Vinyl

Before I Burn: Tracklisting

1. Doom Jive

2. Cyanide Fever

3. Before I Burn

4. Zimbardo

5. Princess of the Peaks

6. Cult of Misanthropy

7. Apocalypse Babes

8. I Will Guide Your Hand

Members

Ulrik H.J. - guitar, keys, vocals

Stian S. - bass

Lasse R. - drums

Review

Magmakammer have been in the scene for some years now and have impressed us every step of the way. I've been a fan since hearing 2018's 'Mindtripper'. Though that album was a little more low-fi and raw in production, all of the talent, potential, and seeds of doom were already being sown. Their EP 'Blood Diamond' saw the furthering of their sound, production, and songwriting abilities with three more tracks of murder and lurking madness.

Fast forward to now, we finally have Magmakammer's new album 'Before I Burn'. The madness and impending doom are forever present though sometimes shrouded behind the deceptive quirks and upbeat rhythms of the album. They've been compared to Uncle Acid and rightfully so but Magmakammer are full of their own surprises, their own uniqueness, their own brand of psychedelic garage stoner doom. 

The opening track 'Doom Jive' is the perfect example of Magmakammer doing things their own way with an eccentric, upbeat, and with an evil carnival-like feel to the song. The song feels like the world we live in, everyone goes about their day turning a blind eye, it's all fun and games until it's your time to die. 'Cyanide Fever's is one of the two singles that was released last year and is a slow tempo, thick doomy track that utilizes organs and haunting vocals to highlight the terror of the sacrificial ritual taking place in the lyrics of the song. 

There are moments of gloom and doom but also catchy up-tempo stoner-doom rock songs such as 'Apocalypse Babes', the Sabbath worship of 'Zimbardo', to more psychedelic melodies like 'Cult of Misanthropy' (with some bluesy guitar thrown in for good measure), and the lightly sung sorrowful closer 'Will Guide Your Hand'. All of these styles are locked within Magmakammer's wheelhouse and showcase their abilities to easily turn direction, as well as their pursuit of growth and evolution. While the world is burning all around them they burst out of the inferno with 'Before I Burn'. 

As per usual the band take a full hands on approach, immersing themselves fully into their craft including the artwork, (I absolutely love the cover art) writing, recording, as well as mixing, only handing the reins over to Tony Reed for final mastering. It's a passion and a labor of love for Magmakammer and I can't wait to spin my liquid-filled variant when it arrives, well done gentleman! 

Words Jon McGough

Thanks to Kozmik Artifactz for the promo.

Before I Burn will be available to buy from the links below on Friday 26th July 2024.

BandCamp Digital Download

Kozmik Artifactz Vinyl

Evil Noise Recordings Cassette

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Magmakammer - Mindtripper (Album Review)

Release date: September 28th 2018. Label: Kozmik Artifactz. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Mindtripper – Tracklisting

1.Druggernaut

2.Fat Saturn

3.Acid Times

4.Mindtripper

5.Along the Crooked Roads 07:26

6.The Voyage

7.Cosmic Dancers

Members

U.H. Jacobsen as the voice, guitar & keys

Stian Solberg as the low-end

And Lasse Røed beating on the cosmic drums

Review

Mindtripper is the debut album from Psychedelic Doom Rockers - Magmakammer. Coming across like a more spaced out version of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, this album sees Magmakammer adding their own heavy psychedelic groove to the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. The vocals from U.H. Jacobsen have a distinctive Black Sabbath feel to them and that only instantly draws you into their heavy spaced out sound.

Opening track - Druggernaut - is your usual standard Doom Metal type of song. However when Magmakammer start adding elements of Psych Rock then the song and album finally spring into life and keeps that confident groove going until the very end of the album. The hazy and heavy guitars become heavier and allow the band to explore different parts of their music.

Second song - Fat Saturn - sees the band journey down the same path as heavyweights Electric Wizard and Sleep but with a more progressive feel. The vocals have a slight creepy feel to them and the lyrics allow this song become one of the more spaced out offerings on the album. The whole feel and sound of the album is decidedly modern and classic sounding at the same time with Magmakammer offering a complex and progressive sound that I didn't really expect or anticipated. The music is wonderfully eerie and has its fair share of gloomy moments to impress the listener with.

Just when you think you have everything figured out with Magmakammer, the band pull something unexpected out of the band and that's what happened to me with the excellent third song - Acid Times. As the band adopt a more Garage Rock style of music and it works so well. The psychedelic and cosmic vibes from the opening two tracks are still there in essence. However the main focus of Acid Times is the Garage Rock sound with a grand Classic Rock approach being added just for the sheer fun of it all.

Fourth song - Mindtripper - is the most doomed out song held on the album which opens with some gloomy organs before the heavy guitars appear. This song feels inspired by the classic horror films from the sixties and seventies. The song has that sinister feel and the lyrics are the main reason for that feeling. The lyrics are very theatrical and OTT but they add a sense of dread into the overall feel of the album.

The final three songs: Along The Crooked Roads, The Voyage and Cosmic Dancers sees Magmakammer embrace their Cosmic/Space Rock identity even further with The Voyage and Cosmic Dancers being two of the best songs held on the album. You can expect the usual twists and turns with the band's music. However you can't deny how highly addictive and exciting it all sounds.

Mindtripper is one of those rare debut albums that have the potential to reward Magmakammer with a long rewarding career within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Mindtripper is that good and is bound to have Doom/Stoner Metal fans worshipping at the altar of Magmakammer. Overall, Mindtripper is a thrilling and stunning debut album that leaves you wanting more.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Adam at Kozmik Artifactz for the promo. Mindtripper will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Kozmik Artifactz from September 28^th 2018.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp