Review: Dunes ‘Land Of The Blind’ 

Holding my hands up here, I knew nothing of hard-rocking Newcastle-based three-piece Dunes until the announcement that they had signed for the Californian home of underground cool Ripple Music. Over the years, the label has proven itself to possess a keen eye for talent and proudly boasts a roster that includes Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man, Hermano and Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich and many more, so any new band they sign immediately gets a listen from yours truly. This has proved to be a sound strategy and in recent years has brought the likes of Duskwood to my attention, as well as one of my top ten picks for last year in Cortez’s excellent Thieves And Charlatans.

Dunes 'Land Of The Blind' Artwork
Dunes ‘Land Of The Blind’ Artwork

Dunes formed nearly a decade ago on Tyneside and definitely fit the Ripple Music profile with a list of influences that check off the usual suspects in the stoner rock scene drawing comparisons to the likes of QOTSA, Clutch, Fu Manchu and Kyuss. Releasing their debut, Take Me To The Nasties, in 2019 through Sapien Records, they have built a solid reputation touring alongside Truckfighters, Monster Magnet and the aforementioned Fatso Jetso as well as gracing the stage at Desertfest London in 2022.

In late 2023 the band headed to Old Church Studios in Thropton with Adam Forster as studio engineer and Dunes drummer Nikky Watson as producer to record their third album, Land Of The Blind, which promises to take the band to greater heights. In the intense atmosphere of the old church, and largely left to their own devices, the band were able to hone in on their most intense and focused set of tunes to date.

Starting with the rolling Cactus, the build-up is more laidback than I was expecting. The delicious fuzzy grind of John Davis’ guitar and the thumping drums of Watson evokes a swaying, smoke-filled jam room feel as Ade Huggins meanders underneath with the rich low-end notes. When they fully lock into the hazy opening instrumental passage, it feels that Dunes, rather than smash you over the head to grab your attention, are inviting you into their world. Make yourself comfortable and roll up a spliff; we’ve got some stories to tell.

As the music gets moody with ringing bends and low thumping drums, Davies intones, ‘Time means nothing, blurs these landscapes’. As the downbeat pace continues, the band channels the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and, at times, feels a million miles away from the sun-drenched deserts you would associate with their namesakes. After a teasing, nagging progression of notes, they finally explode at the end into the warm, multi-layered crunch that you would have expected from their influences. Initially, I was thrown by this seemingly slow start, but on repeated listens, this languid introduction sets the tone for the album. Dunes aren’t interested in some facsimile of things that have been done a million times, this is their take.

The craving for the more up-tempo, driving stoner sounds comes instantly on Tides. The bouncing, head-nodding groove is driving and robust, even when they pull back for the verses. The long ringing notes bolster the insistent, fidgety beat underpinning the mournful vocals and constantly moving bass. When they explode into a huge chorus, part melody, part shouted gang vocal with a catchy earworm sing-a-along and crunching bounce, Dunes sound absolutely huge.

an album chock full of slamming tunes that bristle with confidence…

One Eyed Dog comes in with a teasing guitar run and building drums before locking in a spacey desert rock groove with that danceable Dozer quality. Once again, the minimalist, stripped-back verses serve to set up a towering chorus that soars off into psychedelic-laced harmonies before the heads-down finish with ‘I see through you’ mantra and understated solo.

The muted notes of Northern Scar bring the pace down for a moody atmosphere which uses the slower crawl to bring the heaviness and dramatic brooding atmosphere, which contrasts with the lead single Riding The Low, the track that first grabbed my attention. The snaking intro gives way to classic driving riffing, rich with blues and drums that strain at the leash whilst Davies sets the scene. When Dunes finally explode into the dreamy main hook it is a number that smoulders with mid-paced swagger.

Grinding guitars usher in another head-nodding riff on How Real Is Real and is a testament to the sound the band captured during the recording, as the consistency in tone that flows through Land Of The Blind oozes quality. The open verses tease the moment when the band really go for it. At times, it feels like a familiar format, but it serves the band well and they try to vary it up by throwing in subtle twists in each track.

Voodoo is another blues-heavy, winding rhythm that builds from a stamping drum beat to a solid wall of rumbling bass and another delicious showcase of sawing guitar intertwined with gritty melody, whilst Fields Of Grey grows into a more stop/start dynamic that swings back and forth between the low, edgy vibe of the verses and the towering chorus that Dunes can harness so well.

With a nod to earlier, Land Of The Blind finishes with Riding The Slow, a trippy call back to the album single which floats with ethereal vibes and a smattering of light toms in a retro seventies feel that dials up the psychedelic drift and lets Ade Huggins’ bass steal the spotlight.

With their third album, Dunes arrive on Ripple Music with an album chock full of slamming tunes that bristle with confidence and keep up the label’s reputation of spotting high-quality artists. Land Of The Blind isn’t perfect as at times it feels over-reliant on the same techniques to build to the climatic bits, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable forty-five minutes and I hope to get to see them live this year as when they hit the high points, they are on fire.

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

Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden