Review: Dionize ‘Lighthouse’
I’ve always been in awe of the one-person musical act. Whether it was the work of Boston’s Tom Scholz and Prince of yesteryear, or modern acts such as Cloudkicker and Hochen, the entire process of one individual writing, arranging, recording and engineering every piece of a greater sonic puzzle is a deeply impressive endeavor. Heck, I’m currently taking a stab at it myself, to a degree, as I can’t play drums worth shit.
So, I was eager to check out this offering from Kiwi musician Adam Farr, or Dionize as he is known. A shortened version of the name Dionysus – the Greek god of wine parties and risqué behavior – Farr has been active since 2010 and shows no signs of slowing down. Lighthouse is his latest self-produced release of grinding stoner rock with some groove and sludge influences to boot.
Appropriately titled, the opener God Damn is a mid-tempo swinging swaggerfest with a bit of a southern snarl. It’s the anthem of a fellow who is none-too-pleased and it would be best to give him a wide berth, a point driven home by the use of siren samples. The even better titled Wolf At The Dog Park pulls quite a bit of attitude from Weedeater with Farr bringing some raspy vocals to the forefront with a Down-ish chorus. Unexpectedly, the latter half of the song winds down for a melodic grungy portion and a more expansive closure.
grinding stoner rock with some groove and sludge influences to boot…
Corrosion of Conformity seems to be the inspiration for the title track. It’s a fairly simple sludge number, but certainly maintains a headbanging rhythm. The same holds true for Mesa Black (A Half Life reference?). Like Wolf At The Dog Park it opts for a surprisingly upbeat melodic ending with some spirited lead guitar.
The blues metal instrumental Shaman’s Vine features a middle part with hushed hand percussion that feels slightly reminiscent of The Rolling Stones, while the punk-infused instrumental Drunken Hunting thunders along with grit and vigor. Draconian is a good number but feels a bit samey in relation to previous tracks, while the final ballad, If An Axe Is An Arm, feels a bit like Opeth’s brand of acoustic sad prog.
Farr’s influences are pretty easy to discern and while I respect his musicianship and production, I think the drums suffer the most in the mix in that they hit with a bit of a muffled thud. That said, Lighthouse is played with enough panache and conviction that it makes for a worthwhile listen, and he certainly throws a few musical curveballs to keep things interesting. If you revel in the stormy seas of sludge aggression, southern attitude and a New Zealand sensibility, this Lighthouse is sure to be your guiding light.
Label: Argonauta Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Rob Walsh
