ninehertz

Here’s a cool little EP from Switzerland, that despite its relatively basic stoner rock outlay still manages to hold a few tricks up its sleeve, enough to warm an old stoner soul.

Battle has just three tracks, with the opening title track standing out - the cover art of a beer swilling dragon gives a clue into how. Ghoast overlay their gruff sounding stoner with traditional Chinese instrumentation. At first it’s a head scratching invention and you wonder to their intentions, but the longer the track goes, whilst pummelling along an Alabama Thunderpussy-line of the old stoner sound, the more it starts to nestle in and by the end I’m well and truly hooked, the two distant sounds aligning surprisingly well and makes for a quirky, leftfield cultural overhaul that it is unlikely you’ll have heard anything exactly like before.

They move on from that novelty afterwards, which is probably wise but still a bit of a let down, first time through at least. Cheers to the Sin has a thick bassy sound, maybe distant reminders of Red Fang, it is a little clunky but the thick tone and fuzz drive help to cover it. Road to the Unknown is better, all pedals down, fuzz high to generate upbeat driving music which gets better by its end where a warmth enters that I can’t but love.

This is apparently a precursor EP to a full album which I’ll be keeping a keen eye out for*. For now, Battle is a common garden variety stoner rock EP but done well and of course with that one irregular and highly enjoyable anomaly.

(* since I originally wrote this review, a further EP has arrived entitled Tales of the Underworld)