The searing new album from Sweden's desert rock progenitors opens up this week. Before MONOLORD, TRUCKFIGHTERS, GREENLEAF or GRAVEYARD, one band blasted open the doors to announce Sweden's riff-heavy desert rock arrival.
Now, at long last, LOWRIDER is back to deliver on their much-deserved mythic status. And gives us this week's "Record Of The Week" with "Refractions"(released on February 21st, 2020 via Blues Funeral Recordings).
Finally, LOWRIDER has returned from a 20 yrs hiatus, "Refractions" is more than welcome, a brand spanking album from the Swedish stoner rockers and a superb follow up to the debut album "Ode To Io", that was released back in 2000.
"Refractions" is a six tune album with a playtime of 41 minutes of pure enjoyable low gear rock that please any rocker that like when the "muff‘s" cranked to the max. The album opens up with the monstrous "Red River", where the clocks stop and the calendar goes bananas and take you back in time to the mid-'90s where the desert rock was reaching the peak. With a big grin I enjoy and feel how the riff and melody plow into the soul, the goose skin slowly rises and reaches unseen sky in "Ode To Ganymede", the guitars give me shivers and I lose my self into the psychedelic part halfway true the tune. Holy freaking Moses the Hammond really knocks me off. The heaviness along with a cleaver guitar riffing is just pure craftsmanship of the highest level. "Sernanders Krog" (It's a vegetarian restaurant in the band's hometown Uppsala) follows in the same path, but with a jazzier approach and an amazing groove. "Ol’ Mule Pepe" is a groovy rocker with infectious Montone riffing that makes it really hard to sit still. "Sun Devil/M87" is a progressive instrumental doom piece, slow and heavy. "Pipe Rider" is a real beauty, that closes up this masterpiece in the best possible way, it opens up with a glorious guitar playing until the rest of the band joins in. The vocals are just superb. Eleven minutes of happiness. I guess it has nothing to do with this, but somehow I saw Clint Eastwood playing together with Mark Knopfler, hey it's the music that fingers on your unconsciousness. "Refractions" is an amazing album that explodes with all the churning fuzz and expansive riff-heaviness for which the band is beloved, shot through with re-energized purpose and maturity. The grooves swing, the bottom end rumbles, and the melodies growl and soar, delivering at last on LOWRIDERs longing-to-be-fulfilled promise.
The band consists of:
Bassist/vocalist Peder Bergstrand,
Lead guitarist/vocalist Ola Hellquist,
Guitarist Niclas Stålfors, and
Drummer Andreas Eriksson
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The only downside is the fade-out in "Sernanders Krog", I would love to hear it in the full. I really don't like fade-outs. LOWRIDER has released an album that would reach the highest points if I ever would hand them out. "Refractions" is an instant classic and will end high when 2020 is going to be summarized, this is far the best record so far this year.
Sum: "Refractions" is here to remind you what real desert/stoner rock is. Highly recommended.
Today's tune "Red River" is taken from "Refractions", enjoy!
More info @
Official Lowrider Bandcamp
Listen to ”Lowrider - Red River" on Spotify!
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