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 
 

SIENA ROOT – Root Jam (2CD)

Swedish retro rockers Siena Root have released a number of highly interesting albums and now it was time for a live album, of course it had to be a double CD to fit all the jams. This band sure doesn’t kick out any jams, nope, they bring them in stretch them out nurture them and really bring out the essence of what retro jamming is all about. The music ranges from heavy Mountain style riffing, to trippy psychedelic parts with a touch of vintage Jefferson Airplane adding odd instruments such as recorder, hurdy gurdy, mandolin and derbuka. In songs like Bhimapalast they go all oriental, of course adding sitar to the brew. Next up, in Into The Woods, they start out as heavy as if you would fuse Black Sabbath and Deep Purple in a melting pot, but slowly bringing it down to a soft almost folky vibe, while Words reminds me of Uriah Heep. This is actually one of the live albums, where I feel I wanna see the band live myself when the opportunity is there. Great stuff, indeed!
Janne Stark
Label: Transubstans
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011
Link: www.sienaroot.com