Review Summary: Raw and obscure psychedelic rock from a band with deceiving name. For fans of Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and King Gizzard
Welcome to the Slime Kingdom and its one and only overlord, the slimy Slime King.
Everything in Bow To The Kraken made me expect a sludge doom record. You know, from the band name, the images used, even the artwork – but surprisingly enough, this album turned out to be an obscure psychedelic rock banger.
The release takes the backbone of classic electric boogie psych from the golden era of trippy jamming and sprinkles it with modern (and less expected) moves.
From the very first track that psych worship is very much tangible everywhere, from the guitar tone to the excessive use of melting keyboards. At the same time, the overall mood and sound are way heavier than it’s supposed to be among your average retro rock paraphiliacs.
The production is kept at a harsh and raw level, making the songs sound lively and sweaty while keeping enough attention to mastering and songwriting.
It’s hard to define a main hit among these eight songs, but I think, the whole record is supposed to be ingested as a whole, as an ugly slimy story.
Bow To The Kraken remains a captivating adventure and an entertaining ride for any fan of Jimi Hendrix and other drugs.