ninehertz

Churchhouse Creepers are here to party and they're not bashful in letting you know. From the title, that ridiculous cover art, to the first song name (Party) they're here to drink, be merry and rock out, with invitations extended to all of the stoner rock fraternity.

These Icelanders share many qualities with their better known compatriots The Vintage Caravan, but outdo them with a bolder, positive approach. Yet it takes some time to get into From Party to Apocalypse, the suspicion and cynicism towards anything so brashly stoner rock bred by so many terrible albums with the same aim over the last decade hard to supress.

Once you're a few tracks in however, you realise that the quality doesn't dip, their energy sustained, and you're positively smiling, an undeniable warmth generated. Drawing largely from a garage rock scuzziness and a straight up stoner sound akin to Truckfighters at their most playful, there are some prime cuts here - No Monday the first to really make you take notice; It's All Good infectious; impressions conjured of Bad Wizard sparring against the fun side of early Graveyard.

It is not perfect, unavoidably naff here and there, but its care-free carelessness is embraced, good time throttle favoured over precision, and its the better for it. It has similar reverberations that Gravity X had a decade ago, with the potential to breathe life into the deflated stoner rock soul. Suspend your inhibitions and join the ride.