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Greenbeard Premiere “Creatures of the Night” Video; Variant Out Next Week

Greenbeard (Photo by Dave Creaney)

Austin, Texas, heavy rockers Greenbeard will release their new album, Variant, April 1 through Sailor Records and Kozmik Artifactz. It is their third full-length behind 2015 debut, Stoned at the Throne (discussed here), 2017’s Lödarödböl (review here) and the 2019 EP, Onward, Pillager (review here), and despite much of the narrative — blessings and peace upon it — surrounding the outing being about how it’s taken nearly four years for Variant to come together and the fact that doing so has involved a revamped lineup with bassist Pat Seals and second guitarist Joe Samson joining guitarist/vocalist Chance Parker and drummer Buddy Hachar, what’s lost in that storyline is how righteously the album flows, and just how friggin’ good Greenbeard are at making difficult things sound easy.

For an example, look no further than the sub-three-and-a-half-minute opener “Creatures of the Night” (video premiering below, directed by Daniel Fried). The first of Variant‘s seven component tracks in its 33-minute, don’t-take-any-more-time-than-you-need run, the song finds Greenbeard off at a run, executing creative rhythmic turns and inventive melodicism that will shortly become a running theme for the record as a whole. It’s a sprint, careening in desert rock down-the-highway fashion, but Greenbeard handle the corners smoothly, Parker‘s voice commanding without being any showier than any other element — for an album that will shortly to feature as much saxophone as Variant does throughout “Diamond in the Devil’s Grinder” and the highlight “Sanitario de la Soul,” the level of swag throughout defies logic in remaining understated — surfing the riff in “Creatures of the Night” to craft the first of the offering’s ace hooks and delving into Chris Goss-style patterning on the chunkier second track “Burns Like Basketweave.” That is not a comparison lightly made, but the chic moan and dense fuzz that accompanies more than justify it.

The lead duo are a salvo unto themselves, but as further demonstration of their mastery of their approach, the more tempo-moderate “Burns Like Basketweave” shifts deftly intoGreenbeard Variant “Get in the Car. No Time to Explain.,” which in its tail end introduces the aforementioned saxophone that will go on to play a larger role in the subsequent one-two punch of “Diamond in the Devil’s Grinder” and “Sanitario de la Soul,” Greenbeard making a clear effort to carry their listener across from one stage of Variant to the next. Melodies out of classic soul-informed rock make their way into “Get in the Car. No Time to Explain.,” even as the five-minute cut lets the guitar lead through twisting hook en route to what seems to be a sampled chorus in the background that will, sure enough, return in the song’s apex. “Diamond in the Devil’s Grinder” is mellower in parts but works with a broader dynamic in its volume changes and layering, sax and guitar working together across crescendos and comedowns, build-ups and let-gos before the kick-into-shuffle in the final third gives a faster ending before the organ-laced start of “Sanitario de la Soul.”

All throughout VariantGreenbeard deliver performances that drip with class and still feel natural enough to present them as the band who just happened to come to town that night and will be onto another town, another venue, tomorrow. Right up to its shredding solo, “Sanitario de la Soul” might be the song that most summarizes everything that Variant has to offer — that lead work seems to be setting up the finale of closer “Bare Bones”; the manner in which the tracks communicate with each other already established but working across multiple avenues — and accordingly it’s fitting that the penultimate “Exodus” should follow in something of a return to the mindset of “Creatures of the Night” ahead of “Bare Bones,” the emphasis invariably on dynamic and just how far Greenbeard have brought their audience as the capper taps more classic vibes, lyrical references and clever aphorism twists complementing a last chorus before a solo, a break and a final shove bring Variant to its end, unpretentious and every bit earned.

However long it was in progress at one stage or another, Variant — and perhaps the title itself has taken on a new meaning from the time it was given to the record, I don’t actually know when it was bestowed — would seem to answer the wait in the sheer quality of the work the band has done building from their stoner-rock-is-as-stoner-rock-does foundation and finding an identity of their own in exploring a broader depth of influence. At the center of Greenbeard circa 2022 is a pervasive sense of craft, and the feeling of accomplishment in these seven songs — front to back, no frills need apply — is not to be understated. The “rock is dead” crowd, those who think there’s nothing left to be done with straightforward, kick-your-ass-and-split heavy rock and roll, or that something can’t be exciting to hear without being dumbed down, should start lining up for lessons. If this is indicative of the band Greenbeard are becoming, Variant is all the more a win.

The “Creatures of the Night” video follows here.

Please enjoy:

Greenbeard, “Creatures of the Night” video premiere

GREENBEARD:
Chance Parker – guitar/vocals
Buddy Hachar – drums
Pat Seals – bass
Joe Samson – guitar

Greenbeard, “Get in the Car. No Time to Explain.” official video

Greenbeard, “Exodus” official video

Greenbeard website

Greenbeard on Facebook

Greenbeard on Instagram

Greenbeard on Bandcamp

Sailor Records website

Sailor Records on Bandcamp

Sailor Records on Facebook

Kozmik Artifactz store

Kozmik Artifactz on Facebook

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2 Responses to “Greenbeard Premiere “Creatures of the Night” Video; Variant Out Next Week”

  1. […] more and view GREENBEARD’s “Creatures Of The Night” video, directed by Daniel Fried at THIS LOCATION where the band’s previously released videos for “Get In The Car. No Time To Explain” and […]

  2. […] more and view Greenbeard’s »Creatures Of The Night« video, directed by Daniel Fried at THIS LOCATION where the band’s previously released videos for »Get In The Car. No Time To Explain.« and […]

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