By: Anders

Posted: Jan 17, 2006

The doomy bongheads in Bongzilla, the biggest bong of them all, are now again back with a new album stuffed with ageless traditional doom spiced up with stoner-sphere deluxe, heavy and raw distortion and wicked vocals. Certainly not a thing for all, but for those who can hold the breath long enough, to catch the album in its full length without getting intoxicated by the reek from the speakers, are getting a treat.

The main-base for the songs are put in heavy doom metal, Black Sabbath immediately springs to mind and stays there. The possessed heavy and crushing riffs… which in many occasions could be off this and that Sabbath track sounds great in this context. The band really knows how to make it all work greatly together, and how to get the best out of each element and making it a hard-hitting song. The guitars, the bass and the drums are all delivering good work, and a lot of the riffs, rhythms etc. are very catchy and quite easy to remember, and the band has a nice flow in it all. The raw, ugly and possessed vocals that are on top of it all, besides the instrumental 'Stonesphere' are good and works well in this context. It is somewhat more ugly that the music, but surprisingly fitting.

This album surprised me a bit, not in the sense of the music, I knew what to expect and got it. But the music is flowing much better than before, and I don't grow tired along the way, as it before has happened to me, while listening to a Bongzilla album. It would be a lie to say that the band delivers much innovation on this album, besides the way they unite all the elements, which at times is a bit untraditional. This is an album that most fans of doom, sludge and stoner rock would be able to appreciate, this is a strong album from a good band proud of their roots and inspirational sources, which still dares to make the music special and out of the ordinary.

Rating: 8/10

Bongzilla @ Relapse Records

Distributed in Denmark and kindly supplied by Target

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