Review: Isaak ‘Hey’
One of the coolest things about being one of the most, if not the most, prominent underground labels specialising in stoner rock, desert rock, sludge and doom is that you become a purveyor of the very best in the genre and your label becomes a symbol of quality with the music you are prescribing.
That is most certainly what Heavy Psyche Sounds have in this case provided by Isaak. A fresh, crisp and rolling piece of hard driving heavy rock with its feel good upbeat, high BPM, adrenaline crash of riffs and energy.
Legend has it that the band are named after the track Isaak from Baronness and you can certainly hear the influence of John Dyer Baizley in their riff work. Emanating from the city of Genoa, this high-octane band have previously seen their debut, The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound, re-released on legendary stalwart label Small Stone Records in 2013, but the new album, simply entitled Hey, sees them aspiring and delivering in partnership with Heavy Psych Sounds to a whole new level.
Isaak surpass even the ultimate feel good stoner bands as they soar to new heights…
With the vigour of a mid ‘90s version of Clutch, the band steam through eleven tracks in forty-four minutes and be warned, this music will inspire you to head out on the highway and drive! Each track surges through the veins with a punk like energy, the riffs bounce as they entwine seamlessly with the vocal lines of Giacomo Boeddu. Occasionally Isaak surpass even the ultimate feel good stoner bands as they soar to new heights. Perfect examples of this include the title track Hey and Over The Edge.
The thunderous and fuzzed out, yet perfectly audible, bass of Gabriele Carta is refreshing to hear, and the crisp production ensures that you’re able to hear the sonic quality of all the instruments. Their interplay cannot be understated in a world that is often the target of overproduced bass heavy music, but on Hey, the deep tones carry enough weight to be nimble and lift off.
Heavy Psych Sounds can yet again reinforce themselves as the purveyors, with not only the home of core acts from the Palm Desert and surrounding areas but also the new blood of Europe. I have no doubt that Isaak will become a mainstay at the finest European stoner festivals and I for one will be right at the front to soak up the energy!
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Francisco Javier
