Review & Full EP Premiere: Silverships, Kingdom of Decay
Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on November 21st, 2024 by JJ KoczanHamburg-based heavy rockers Silverships issue their debut EP, the four-songer Kingdom of Decay, tomorrow through Tonzonen. At 19 minutes total, it is preceded only by a 2023 demo that had two tracks, and single releases for “Kingdom of Decay” and “Nevermore,” which are included here, to promote this release, so if you’re reading and thinking to yourself, “hey I’ve never heard of this band,” by no means are you late to the party. Ever; but particularly not in this case. Comprised of bassist Jan Gehrmann, guitarist/vocalist Nils Kock and drummer Tim Schröter, the band dig wholeheartedly into a turn-of-the-century desert rock sound as their foundation, giving a strong impression derived from Queens of the Stone Age throughout, but working around that root with persona and expressive character.
The group’s beginnings seem to be something of a winding tale, going back about a decade to Nils Kock leading an outfit called — of course — Kock’s Motel. Kock’s Motel put out an EP in 2016 and other demos and such along the way, and evolved into Silverships in ’22/’23. Somewhere in there Kock also took part in Crimson Coyote circa 2020, but Silverships is a refreshed lineup and renewed intention, and Kingdom of Decay, from the outset of its title-track, benefits from the new-band energy of the contained performances. And this might be splitting hairs, but while Josh Homme is an acknowledged defining influence in the material, I actually hear more Chris Goss and Masters of Reality in the opener. Kock‘s voice has that kind of croon made to ride a swinging groove, and as he names himself “a hopeless clown” in the verse, the likeness is there and in the arrangement flourishes throughout, even if the production sound puts their fuzz squarely in the realm of Lullabies to Paralyze.
That’s not a complaint, mind you. As the airy lead line starts “Kingdom of Decay” with an echoing memory of Kyuss‘ “Rodeo,” the stage is set, and Kock, Gehrmann and Schröter work from there to bring their interpretations to more familiar genre elements. They know how to write a song, and specifically how to end one, as both the lead/title-cut and “Beast” follows suit, with insistent fuzz and a brash, edgy snare sound behind the verse as it builds toward its thicker-toned chorus takeoff ahead of a vital last push that feels like it’s about to go off the rails when they end it. The second single, “Nevermore” shifts intention tonally and spaces its vocals out to accompany a thicker, lower buzz. Fair enough to change it up if they were going to, but they’re not far from the desert in the melody, and they do get around to another big finish, but the form has changed. This is more open, patient, and fluid. A roll rather than a charge. If you don’t think that makes a difference, I’m glad to argue the ‘pro’ side of hearing nascent dynamic in a new band’s early output.
And “War is Over” continues the shakeup of what “Kingdom of Decay” and “Beast,” and even “Nevermore” got up to. At 6:17, it’s the longest of the four on the EP, and it begins mellow and drifty, letting the atmosphere that shone through the more straightforward songs prior find fruition in the closer. In the instrumental and vocal arrangements, it’s Beatles, but again via Chris Goss, and as the pop-emotive layering of the vocals works well, spindly lead lines in the hook build off the verse’s thoughtful melody. The guitar spends most of its time soloing either gently or not, but it comes to the fore after the halfway point and smoothly changes from its casual strum to proggier, almost keyboardy sounds (if it’s keys, fine; I just didn’t see a credit), finishing somewhat grander but consistent in pace and a moment that feels ‘earned’ by the time they get there as a herald of things to come.
I know everybody’s busy, and the greater likelihood is you haven’t heard Silverships before since this is their first outing (I know you have, since you’re cool like that, but other people are lame like me), but it’s 19 minutes of your time and you might find something you dig. Low risk, high potential reward, and all you have to do is click play on the player below to hear it. PR wire info follows after. Easy-frickin’-peasy.
As always, I hope you enjoy:
Heavy groove driven Stoner/ Desert Rock Trio Silverships will release their debut Kingdom Of Decay on November 22, 2024 via Tonzonen Records/ Cargo.
The four songs of Silverships’ debut EP Kingdom Of Decay encompass all musical styles from which the band draws their inspiration. The desert rock of the 90s and 2000s forms the foundation of the trio. Many traces of Queens Of The Stone Age can be found in the songs. The heavy passages also conjure up associations to Kyuss. Soundscapes from 70s Pink Floyd also appear again and again. Light psych-pop moments of early Tame Impala are followed by dense and dark atmosphere capturing the vibe of The Doors – and would also work well as the soundtrack for a movie yet to be made.
Recorded at Studio Altona by Hauke Albrecht
Mastered by Plätlin Mastering
Video by Jonas Albrecht
In addition to opulent arrangements and varied songwriting, what characterizes the band is their love of B parts, always ending their songs on an exclamation point. Hauke Albrecht is the man behind the powerful production. With Mountain Witch, he produced the last bigger stoner export from Hamburg. The band was able to get BEWITCHED Graphics’ Benjamin Nickel for the artwork, whose psychedelic works have also been featured by the Reeperbahn Festival, for example.
The opener Kingdom Of Decay starts off softly. Bassist Jan Gehrmann’s hypnotic bassline floats over drummer Tim Schröter’s fluffy groove carpet, then Nils Kock’s hooky lead guitar joins in. His velvety singing tells a story of transitoriness. “And I never ever ever, never ever ever saw her again”, goes the chorus. Boy meets girl? A one unique rush experience? After the second chorus, the song’s heaviness increases: Huge fuzz guitars pick up the bassline and encourage subtle headbanging. After the lead fanfares and the bluesy solo have faded away, a mellotron lights up the song and the base riff returns, revolving, accelerating, taking off. The hook from the intro glides through the room one last time before a stoner rock bulldozer rips through the outro.
Overall, Silverships’ Kingdom Of Decay is a surprisingly fleshed out debut record. No wheels are reinvented, but many different influences and references are interweaved into a very harmonious and surprising combination. The result is a varied, yet homogeneous debut EP that leaves the listener curious about what’s to come next.
The Silverships vinyl of Kingdom Of Decay is available for pre-order here: https://www.tonzonen.de/shop/p/silverships-presale-061024-
Tracklist
1. Kingdom Of Decay
2. Beast
3. Nevermore
4. War Is Over