Transubstans 2013
From the dread to feather bed, Swedish six-piece find the thrill of the chase.
Hippie metal may sound like an oxymoron to those who never saw Ozzy in a fringed jacket flick a peace sign, but this band took notice, and follow the template in fine fashion, especially on the title cut of their third album. And although Annika Branberg’s percussion under the “Hour Of The Wolf” predatory riff, which brings their to life, hints at shape of things to come and “Brick By Brick” ups the Latino ante under the heavy veneer, the enchanting lava flow of Bjorn Lohmander and Stefan Branberg’s twin guitars fails to prepare one for the acid chant of “Against The Rising Tide” falling, with its male and female vocals, in line between JEFFERSON AIPLANE’s “White Rabbit” and CURVED AIR‘s “Marie Antoinette.”
Rather logically, “Roses And Morphine,” underpinned with Pierre Svensson’s bass sounds spaced-out, as “Space Truckin'” could be if it was delivered on Yasgur’s farm. But it’s not just innocence corrupted by experience. Closing mini-epic “Drifting” unfurls from a folk ballad into an equally delicate, if expansive, prog piece, where Niklas Gustafsson’s voice shows all of its colors and six-string solos soar to drive home another meaning of the album’s titular message – a quiet contemplating in the company of friends. A riveting listening.
****3/4