Review: Slomosa ‘Tundra Rock’
So far it’s been a year of follow-ups from bands I’m already invested in. Slomosa have fallen into the category of ‘band I’ll tell anyone and everyone about’ for a couple of years now – they have a sound that is easy to love and likely to burrow its way into your brain because of the laid-back Kyuss vibes and radio-friendly hooks.
Their appeal amongst other disparate bands and touring partners is obvious as well; their last couple of visits to UK shores have seen them support Elder and Alkaline Trio. Confirmation of Slomosa’s slow but definite infiltration of the wider scene came this summer; whilst stood in a field at a family-friendly music festival in Cheshire watching Toyah Wilcox and Robert Fripp (legend!) I realised me and the random fella next to me were both wearing Slomosa shirts. Obviously, we casually nodded appreciatively to each other and then slowly backed away to tend to our respective toddlers.
On this basis, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the new Slomosa album for quite some time, and here it is, courtesy of Stickman Records and MNRK Heavy, available for delivery on swirly vinyl, philosophically challenging digital download (if you can’t put a cup of coffee on it, does it even truly exist?), and good old shiny CD. We’ve had three singles issued in advance of its release, and the feedback from fans I’ve spoken to was generally ‘it’s more of the same – hurrah’. Can a continuation in the groove of their self-titled debut continue to extend the reach of Slomosa’s frozen Norwegian claws?…
The record gently sways into action with the instrumental Afghansk Rev, which the band have been using as their live set opener for a while now. Quite frankly there’s more subtlety and melody in this ditty than exists in many wholly instrumental albums, so it works really well as a bridge into Rice. What’s clear from the track from a production and instrumentation point of view, we are certainly in debut-part-two territory. But that’s a definite plus as that album sounded fantastic, and it’s a sound that they deliver in a live setting with ease as well. Their dual guitar set-up brings us that classic stoner-trope of harmony-fuelled riffs, and whilst Slomosa can be very easily pinned to a wall somewhere between Kyuss and Dozer, I honestly don’t think there is anyone doing this better at the moment.
Cabin Fever was the first single released, and in many ways, it’s my favourite track on the album (maybe this will change as I become more familiar with what’s yet to come). It showcases the one thing that has without doubt developed since the debut, and that’s the vocals. Benjamin Berdous’ lead vocals are far more confident (this is particularly evident when they play live) and the addition of backing vocals from bassist Marie Moe brings texture and depth. As for the riffs… well they’ll blow the walls down of whichever cabin you choose to play them in.
The songs are strong, the record sounds fantastic and the artwork is totally in keeping with their whole vibe…
Red Thundra is the first genuinely unheard track here, and it takes the pace down a few notches and along with the bold but great step of pushing Marie to the fore as co-lead vocalist. This is a more oppressive and downbeat version of the Slomosa blueprint. It’s certainly more serious in tone and because of that, it feels like the heaviest thing they’ve committed to wax thus far. To my ears it also sounds like a perfect live set closer – it’s only five and a half minutes long, but in that tight timescale, it really feels like a mini epic with some fierce drumming from Jard Hole bringing the track to a close.
After a short piano palate-cleanser, we then go running full-tilt into Battling Guns, the third single from the album and a return to the more frenetic style of the likes of There Is Nothing New Under The Sun from their debut. This track reminds me of just how good an experience they are live. Remember those gigs you went to ‘back in the day’ when everyone was pogoing and pushing in unison rather than spin-kicking and trying to beat the living shit out of one another? Well, that’s the crowd you get at a Slomosa gig, long may it continue!
Monomann maintains the momentum of Battling Guns – I don’t think it’s gonna be anyone’s favourite Slomosa track, but if that’s the worst criticism I can come up with, then we’re on pretty safe ground for the album as a whole. The next track MJ, however, shakes things up quite a bit. Just as I’m wondering why they’ve decided to write a song about the world’s foremost Smooth Criminal I’m confronted with a hulking-great grunge riff! My confusion then gets replaced with cries of ‘hang on, this is now the riff from Kyuss’ Demon Cleaner!’. Once I’d gotten over the shock of the Alice-in-Hommeness of it all, I actually really enjoyed MJ, and it features the best guitar solo on the album, so at the very least, this track shows us that they can still surprise us now and again.
Tundra Rock closes with Dune, which is every bit as epic as Red Thundra, but very different in feel. The percussion-led intro and the vaguely Middle Eastern vibe of the guitar lines take us to a very different desert to those that they have in Norway. The use of vocals to double the riff is a great touch, and all in all, this is a stonker of a closing track.
So, is Tundra Rock more of the same? Well, yes, but for a band so early in their career it feels entirely appropriate for them to slowly build on the bedrock they’ve set down. Whilst this album will feel immediately familiar to existing fans, it also builds on each element of their sound, with the vocal interplay being the key extra colour on their palate. The songs are strong, the record sounds fantastic and the artwork is totally in keeping with their whole vibe. Tundra Rock is a super-solid step forward for a band that I hope will be around for a long time to come.
Label: Stickman Records | MNRK Heavy
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: David J McLaren
