The Sonic Overlords - The Last Days Of Babylon (CD/LP)

 

If you’re a fan of the Tony Martin era Black Sabbath, here’s a band you definitely shouldn’t miss out on! Swedish quartet The Sonic Overlords (who really do their name justice) is fronted by singer Marcus Zachrisson Rubin with Morgan Zocek (Sideburn) on guitar, Daniel Ramirez on bass and Per Soläng (Corroded) behind the drums. The album kicks off with slightly oriental sounding up-tempo rocker “Utopia”, making me think of Rainow meets Black Sabbath, while next track “In My Darkest Room” takes the tempo down to a nice mix of slow Sabbathy doom riffs and melodic vibes. “Fools” picks up the pace again and even if I do see Black Sabbath peeking out behind the corner it does have a nice dose of Sonic Overlords personality. “Lords Of Tomorrow” takes us back down into the basement… even under the basement. Doom of the highest order, in league with Swedish colleagues Sorcerer. A really fat riff with nice melodic vocals. This is great stuff, indeed! “World of Fire” starts off nice and easy to develop into a powerful ballad resting on a heavy foundation. Marcus, who also fronts cover band Ozzy The Coverband, does a great job, and despite the risk of doing so, does not sound like a copy of neither Ozzy, Tony or Dio. He definitely has his own touch which fits this band like a glove. “Sands of Time” is a mid-tempo cruncher which reminds me a bit of Grand Magus on “Iron Will”, but also with some softer parts weaved in. Very nice and dynamic. ”Shine” continues in the same vein, where they take it down with a softer pre-verse, and then flick the power switch and even features a football chorus as a new dimension. “Children of the Night” provides another dose of doom riffing. Detuned, heavy and powerful with Marcus’ voice as a flag bearer on top of the black mountain. One of my favorites on the album! “Eternal Heroes” picks up the tempo and the riffs are mean and suggestive, but the song still has a fateful feeling hanging over it. In the last track, “Past the End of Time” none less than Tony Martin guests on vocals. Maybe not totally surprising, since the song also has a strong vibe of Black Sabbath. The fact is I hardly hear the difference between Tony and Marcus’ vocals (and still I don’t feel Marcus sounds like Tony… figure that one out). I must also say, I really like the production, which is fat and powerful yet quite dynamic.

/Janne Stark

Year: 2021

Label: M-Theory

SIDEBURN – Evil Or Divine (CD)

Stockholm based stoner rockers Sideburn (not to be confused with the Swizz namesakes) have been going for quite some time now. They made their debut in 2001, with the album Trying To Burn The Sun. The band has been a very consistent, high quality power pack, and on their new and fifth outing that hasn’t changed. What however has changed, is that singer Jani Kataja has been replaced by Dimitri Keiski. A bit surprising as he won the Swedish “True Talent” in 2011 and hasn’t really been seen in the doomier rock circuits. Well, ok, he was also a member of Insania (Stockholm), but that’s not really heavy is it? The interesting thing is that on the previous albums the music was more detuned, slower and heavier with Jani’s voice being quite high pitch and soft. I really loved that combination. The new album marks a change to a more classic sounding seventies heavy and doomy sound with Dimitri adding his cool slightly thicker voice. Another great combination, which marks a great development for the band. Opening track Masters And Slaves really brings out the Born Again era Black Sabbath vibe, while Sea Of Sins is a more up-tempo retro rocker with some really cool riffing and Dimitri singing his heart out. When Darkness Calls is a slow, dark number, also bringing on some early Black Sabbath vibes, but with Dimitri adding a different touch to it. Very cool and dynamic indeed. The Seer (Angel of Death) reminds me of colleagues Grand Magus in their prime. A great groovy track with a doom-boogie vibe to it. The Day The Sun Died opens up, also drawing vibes of early Sabbath, a bit more reminiscent of the band’s earlier stuff, but still with a new touch. Evil Ways is a nice up-tempo number with some really cool Iommy-style riffing in the verse. The album finishes with the epic Presence, which goes from soft to heavy to floating to doomy. A great development for the band, a killer album and one you should definitely check out!

Janne Stark

Label: Metalville

Country: Sweden

Year: 2015

THE GRAVIATORS - Evil Deeds (CD/LP)

Karlshamn based stoner rockers The Graviators released their excellent debut two years ago, on Transubstans Records. They have since been picked up by (a bit surprisingly) Napalm Records and now the first fruit of this collaboration has been unearthed. The band’s second effort is entitled Evil Deeds and was produced by experienced stoner (among others…)  producer Berno Paulsson, who has put his mark on bands like Spiritual Beggars. The Graviators could be placed in the same category as the Beggars, but topped with a classic Count Raven doom feel. Great retro sounding riffs, well-played and great sounding. Singer Niklas Sjöberg sounds a bit like a mix of a young Ozzy and Count Raven singer Chritus Lindersson, which may not be for everyone, but to me it fits the music perfectly. I also really like guitarist Martin Fairbanks Iommi-style soloing, and of course the band’s tight rhythm union consisting of bassist Johan Holm and drummer Henrik Bergman, who reminds me a bit of Ludwig Witt at times in his groovy loose playing. The song material is really strong and doesn’t just rely on simple riffing or chord plodding, but cool rhythmic variations and great intricacies that take the songs to a new level. Just listen to the swing style of The Great Deception, a killer song indeed! There’s also a bit of vintage Sabbath in songs like Häxagram. The Graviators manage to bring, if not new, but at least exciting things into a long running and pretty overexploited genre. Buy Evil Deeds and Sideburn’s IV Monument and you’re set for the time being (there are actually a few more you should check out). The album is also available in a limited beautiful double-LP version.
Janne Stark
Label: Napalm Records
Year: 2012
Country: Sweden

SIDEBURN - IV Monument (CD)

Fuckin’ hell!! I was just run over by a riff! Sideburn really show they mean it when opening their new album with the tank-like riffing of Diamonds. What a kick in the nuts! Great feel of vintage Sabbath and a production that moves mountains. Can’t help thinking singer Jani Kataja reminds me a lot of former The Quill singer Magnus, which is a really good thing indeed. Not your ordinary low tune vocalist, but more melodic and high register, which compliments the dead heavy riffing of songs like Fire And Water just perfect. Sideburn could easily be labeled a stoner band, but they are so much more. In some moments they remind me a bit of Spiritual Beggars, then there’s some good old Black Sabbath and in the slower and cooler number, Crossing The Lines they remind me of Swedish retro colleagues Siena Root. Tomorrow’s Dream is not a Black Sabbath cover, but ironically the intro reminds me a bit of Mob Rules. Awesome tune! Guitarist Morgan Zocek is a killer guitarist, actually with some hints of John Sykes in his vibrato. When the slow and concrete heavy riffing of The Last Day starts, Candlemass immediately comes to mind. This is doom at its finest. Next up, in Silverwing, they return to the slightly psychedelic vein of Siena Root, but with a touch of Grand Magus. This is really great stuff, I must say! Versatile, yet consistent, heavy, yet melodic. I really love the band’s sound in general, the vocals, the instrumental performances, the sound and the song material. I did like the band before, but this time all the boxes are ticked! Well done!
Janne Stark
Label: Transubstans
Year: 2012
Country: Sweden 
 

SIDEBURN - The Demon Dance (CD)

Sideburn are no nubes, but even if they were formed already 13 years ago, this is only their third album. They even put Def Leppard to shame. Well, there ends that comparison however. This Stockholm based trio picks their influences from the classic hard rock and bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. I did like Sideburn’s earlier albums, but I felt they sounded more like the average Swedish stoner band. Now I feel something has happened. Sure, there are strong vibes of colleagues like Spiritual Beggars and The Quill, but if you listen to the album’s third track “Song For Hope” influences from the more varied and solemn seventies shine through. This track feels more akin to Bigelf, but with a touch of the old symphonic bands. Here are soft, lengthy melodic parts that float like on clouds, to suddenly be interrupted by lead-coated riffs and Morgan Zoceks killer guitar solos. He balances his style between technique and blues, with a pretty big vibrato that owes a lot to Yngwie Malmsteen. The subsequent track “Fallen Sun” opens with nice guitar picking and a bass solo by Martin Karlsson, this one also with a nice symphonic touch mixed with heavy riffing. Martin also plays keyboards, which gives the album a new and well needed dimension. The band should however attract classic stoner fans, particularly in the crusher “Dyin’ Day”, where Jani Kataja sounds like a long lost cousin of The Quill’s singer Magnus Ekwall. This also sets him apart from most of the, sometimes a bit boring, traditional stoner howlers. Jani has a clear and pure voice, with a nice dose of white blues. I really like the fact that Sideburn resist the temptation to just grind, but instead take their time to soften the distortion a bit and use dynamics, like in heavy bluesy “Shining”. It has a nice semi-fat neck pick-up Les Paul on the rhythm chart. Once he lets it rip he just ups the volume and lets the natural power speak, instead of adding a lot of fuzz. This gives it a lot of dynamics, which is something I often lack today. Dynamics is also the word of honour in “Rainy Day” with its acoustic guitar and dry up-front vocals. When a cool electric guitar is added in the background and the drummer just adds some cool tom-tom playing, these guys prove they know what it’s all about. Furthermore the song keeps on building up to transform into a, slightly surprising, flamenco:ish theme which takes the song into a new direction. The relaxed “Shapes” with its almost eight minutes should give fans of Led Zeppelin value for money. I won’t say more, just – I recommend this one strongly!
Janne Stark

Year: 2010

Label: Transubstans

Country: Sweden

Link: www.myspace.com/sideburnsweden