ninehertz

Green Tripe’s debut EP Bong Surfing was a revelation, weed-obsessed doom yes, but with a rare individuality formed primarily through eerie atmospheres and absolutely crazed vocals. It sat alone from the doom crowd, probably in a corner talking to itself whilst others looked on concerned.

It was therefore a delight to find they have returned with a full album. Everything that made that prior release stand out is present and correct. The title alone indicates the singular drug focus of theme and lyric as do the song names and, frankly, the sound which can only have been derived from a group of tripped-out distorted minds. It makes for a glorious, messed-up record.

So, what weirdness lies within this time? It begins with Hotel Grand MA juana., a gentle beginning through desert rock guitars and drums alone, a stoner rock riff gives way to those rabidly fierce vocals we were awaiting. It truly is manic, below a stoner sound that is steadily congealing into sludge before our ears. It is awesome.

They slide between stoner rock, bluesy doom and corrosive sludge so well throughout, always with a wide-eyed, drawn out slightly mystical atmosphere. Every track has something different and the vocals never fail to illuminate and bring their own madness and magic.

There are couple of longer tracks towards its rear – Stoner Henge the pick of them, biding its time in an almost drone-doom manner, providing a nice variance until a nasty doom riff enters five minutes through, rolling forth to its end.

It is an excellent doom record, playing across the genre boundary lines, bringing their own touch to these much worn sounds with a fresh approach. This plus those unique vocals really do bring a sense of theatre through their persistent strangeness, which when first heard being a bristling unease but which you find you quickly come to love and view with a sense of fun.