https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

Mangrove and the Infinity of Clouds

Posted in Reviews on August 5th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Groovy.Seems curious that a band from Stockholm might take their name from a form of plant life that grows almost exclusively in the tropics, but the trio Mangrove have done precisely that, and on their Transubstans debut, Endless Skies, they blend elements of fuzz-laden hippie stoner rock and light psychedelia for nine competent tracks of warm, familiar-sounding jams. They?re not likely to revolutionize the genre, but if they were opening for Truckfighters, I?d be there in a second.

It might just be Seemless on my brain lately, but in opener ?Universal Time? I hear shades of that Massachusetts band?s self-titled first offering ? namely in the vocals of bassist Jani Kataja, who seems to check Jessie Leach?s non-screaming work on ?In My Time of Need? and ?Lay My Burden Down,? reinterpreting and incorporating melodies and lines into the Mangrove context. It doesn?t pervade so much throughout the rest of Endless Skies, and it could be a common Chris Cornell or other influence, but it stuck out in my head and so I figured it was worth a mention in case I wasn?t the only one who noticed.

?Universal Time,? at 5:16, is the longest cut on Endless Skies , and Mangrove generally keep their songwriting straightforward, allowing for some lead guitar layering and acoustics from six-stringer/backing vocalist Magnus Jernstr?m on ?River of My Soul? without ever crossing over into obnoxious self-indulgence. If anything, the simplistic approach adds to the overall flow of the album, so that even a track like the interlude ?Back by the Mountainside,? which is almost entirely guitar strumming and cymbal waves from drummer Fredrik Broqvist doesn?t feel out of place for the sonic change it represents. You just know that once ?Electric Eye? kicks in, it?s back to catchy riffs and grooves, and sure enough, you?re right.

Read more »

Tags: , ,

Ponamero Sundown: I’m Your Boogie Van

Posted in Reviews on July 30th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Rock on.Waving out the open windows of a speeding supercharged boogie van fueled by riffs and secondhand smoke, Swedish stoner rockers Ponamero Sundown don’t care if it’s grass, gas or ass — everyone rides for free. As they issue their first full-length following several demos, the aptly-titled Stonerized (Transubstans), this fuzzsome foursome emit 12 tracks of classic ’90s-style stoner groove brought into the 21st Century with modern production and slick tones.

There’s a little bit of everything within the genre of stone, and even some elements drawn from without — the chorus riff of “Curtain Call,” for example, seems to be culled from Annie Lennox‘s “Sweet Dreams” — but mostly one can point to a riff or a segment and place it somewhere within the canon. “Rotten Religion” is a little darker, but “Live the Lie” sparks a bowl of And the Circus Left Town-era Kyuss and “Doctor of Evil” resonates old Dozer and Truckfighters‘ thoughtful neo-fuzz. It’s a balance of what you’d expect and what you’d probably expect a little less. Some Colour Haze-style guitar leads the way for “Intermission (Heartbreak Disease),” which ultimately warps into a The Awesome Machine-style build. Ponamero Sundown mix it all well enough to come out with an individual sound, if one well in place within its scene.

Read more »

Tags: , ,