Review: 10,000 Years ‘All Quiet On The Final Frontier’

It’s been four years since 2020, aka ‘The Year Of The Plague’, and it’s been a whirlwind, especially for the music community. While these times, for a lot of us, were particularly rough, we also got to hear some amazing music due to the quarantine. 10,000 Years is a prime example, releasing their debut self-titled EP that was also Part I of a grand trilogy.

II and III came out in consecutive years completing the story of Albatross and The Green King. I’m a sucker for cohesive storytelling across multiple releases and 10,000 Years did an incredible job while simultaneously setting themselves up for a bright future.

And that bright future is now with the band singing to the renowned Ripple Music for their debut long player, All Quiet On The Final Frontier, an eight-tracker that leaves the concept of the previous EPs behind. At first, I was saddened by this as the grand tale of The Green King was a massive undertaking and executed perfectly, however, it was time for 10,000 Years to move on to something fresh as each new track showcases the musical advances the trio have made over the years and that they’re here for the long haul.

Contradictory to the title, there is nothing quiet on this opus. Thunderous drums, booming bass and crushing riffs fill the thirty-four minutes. I believe this is a typo when I transferred the press statement into my notes as the album is described as ‘skullcrushingstonermetal’. Now I fully support that being one word and maybe it’s the next sub-genre, either way, both singles, High Noon In Sword City and The Experiment, alluded to this new ‘genre’ in anticipation of its release. The former having more of a build with a lead riff reminiscent of Howling Giant’s recent adventure while the latter is explosive from the get-go and doesn’t let up.

Thunderous drums, booming bass and crushing riffs fill the thirty-four minutes…

Diving deeper only gets better as you realize the band forming in the year of the plague is logical because their music is infectious. The Weight Of A Feather immediately comes to mind as the ‘skullcrushing…’ riffs paired with up-tempo drums and howling vocals dig their way in and stick with you all day. Equally infectious is the groove of Death Valley Ritual which leans more into the ‘…stonermetal’ side such as Valley of the Sun, especially when the soaring vocals chime in. The title track, All Quiet On The Final Front, leans into this style as well with a heavy desert rock feel focusing on melody.

By taking the final plunge, you really get to experience the nuances that show how much the band has grown in a short time. The cinematic opener Orbital Decay builds anticipation and tension like any good post-rock track with its droning delays. This effect returns later with Ablaze In The Now giving a Russian Circle vibe, especially as the drums enter. This slight stray from the crushing, stoner center the album revolves around, is what sets the band, apart.

Although the tectonic riffs on closer Down The Heavy Path is where 10,000 Years shine as it’s a song that needs to be heard at high volumes to feel the shifting earth below. The infectious riff becomes an earworm and the need to re-listen is almost unbearable as the seamless fade into the opening drones of Orbital Decay bring the album full circle. Any song across this release will make you a fan of the Swedish trio, but I imagine when Ripple Music head honcho Todd Severin first heard this epic number, he immediately responded to the band with a contract ready to sign.

Label: Ripple Music
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Josh Schneider