Release
date: September 25th 2015. Label: Small Stone Recordings . Formats:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Feral:
Tracklisting
1.Building
A Haunted House
2.Smoke
The Deathless
3.A
Mustard Seed
4.Thou
Art That
5.Born
In Captivity
6.Derail
7.Psilocybe
8.Come
Home
Band
Members:
Mark Johnson, Matt Lynch, Marty Dodson
Review:
It's hard to believe that Seattle Psych Stoners – Snail – have been
going as a band for 23 years now. OK they had a break between 1995
and 2008. Since then they’ve released two acclaimed albums - Blood
and Terminus. Both excellent albums showing that Snail had not lost their magic touch for creating magical trippy psychedelic anthems
with a heavy dash of Stoner Metal riffian based madness.
Now
Snail return with their new album – Feral – and it’s perhaps
their darkest and most surreal offering yet. The album still sees
Snail create heavy psych stoner riffs but a sense of darkness has
been added to the mix. Feral is a fantastic sounding album from start
to finish it maybe too dark for some long-time Snail fans. It’s
good when a band attempts something different to their last release
and Feral is Snail in full-on experimental mode.
Opening
track – Building A Haunted House – is a psychedelic experience
with Snail creating different noises and fuzz based sounds for a
creepy almost occult rock style affair. The vocals are pitch-perfect
giving a sense of fear or dread of what is coming next. The lyrics
are quite bleak but you can’t help be sucked in by it all as Snail
make you welcome in their messed up little world. The riffs range
from fuzzed up epic notes to the more delicately played slow-paced
notes that linger in the darkness.
Second
track – Smoke The Deathless – is driven by a funk bass guitar
riff with old-school Snail showing up getting you into the mood with
superb fuzz/down-tempo guitar riffs. Though it’s the funky bass
guitar that keeps your attention and the grizzled vocals being played
in the background. It’s a mixture of upbeat psych Stoner riffs with
Snail’s bleak outlook on life. This song has the best of both
worlds. For you doom and gloom maniacs it has the right amount of
darkness to it whilst the Desert Rock/Fuzz Rock crew will enjoy being
taken down memory lane where the music has a slight Kyuss/Fu Manchu
influence.
Third
track – A Mustard Seed – is one of the albums standout tracks as
it’s a fuzzed up party atmosphere with Snail unleashing fast-paced
riffs with a careless world weary attitude. The FUZZ is strong on
this track with the dark psych stoner metal vibe giving way to a
genuine sense of fun. This song surprised me as it shows Snail is not
all about the darkness even if the lyrical content suggests
otherwise. You’ll be rocking out to this tune over and over again
as it’s one of the finest tracks that Snail has written in years.
Fourth
track – Thou Art That – is the longest track on the album
clocking in over 10 mins and is perhaps the most surreal and
out-there song on the album. It’s a mixture of slow-paced doomy
riffs that takes time for the atmosphere to get going but it’s
still an addictive ride into Snail’s dark twisted world. The
instrumental work is first class with the band paying homage to
60s/70s Psych Rock which allows Snail to play different instruments.
Though it’s the heavy stoner noises that save the day.
The rest of the album carries on the superb and highly addictive
atmosphere captured in the first four songs. Tracks such as Born In
Captivity and Derail create an even heavier atmosphere though the
vocals on Born In Captivity are a mixed bag. Some parts of the song I
didn’t understand what was being said but the music is still
undeniably catchy. Derail is perhaps the most psychedelic offering on
the album.
The
albums final two tracks – Psilocybe and Come Home – bring this
trippy journey to its natural conclusion. Psilocybe is perhaps the
albums heaviest track with the band creating a nightmarish
experimental vibe that offers instances of long drawn out psychedelic
riffs. It’s another standout track for you to immerse yourself
with. Though it may take repeated listens to fully understand what’s
going on. As Snail include a lot of different ideas that will confuse
and delight you in equal measure.
Come
Home ends Feral. It’s a blues rock based number and it’s one of
the albums weakest tracks. It’s a loud fuzzy affair I just can’t
see why the band chose this song to end the album with. I’m feeling
they should have left this song off the album or closed with
Psilocybe as it doesn’t end on a loud fnish as the album justly
deserved. This is another great record from Snail as they embrace
their roles as ringmasters of this demented trippy circus known as
Feral. Yeah it’s trippy and very surreal at times but at least
Snail are one of the true original bands living upto the Stoner Metal
tag.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Feral will be available to
buy on CD/DD/Vinyl through Small Stone Recordings on September 25th
2015
Links:
