Spirits Of The Dead is a Psychedelic Doom/Folk/Stoner Rock Collective from Oslo, Norway
The members are:
Geir Thorstensen - Drums
Ole Øvstedal - Guitar
Ragnar Vikse - Vocal
Kristian Hultgren - Bass
So one of Norway's finest Hard Rock Exports are back with their hotly tipped new album - Rumours Of A Presence. Well these hard-rocking Stoner/Doom/Folk Rockers made an impression with almost everyone with their 2011 excellent 2nd album - The Great God Pan. I reviewed it back in 2011.
I fucking loved it. It was a great hybrid of different sounds from many different genres I love - Hard Rock, Doom, Stoner and even Folk. Well these trippy acid rockers are back with their best work to date - Rumours Of A Presence - instantly rocked my fucking world.
What genre do these guys fit in. Hard Rock. Stoner, Doom, Folk and Acid Rock. Tell me as I even have a hard time categorising them. Fuck it. I am going to call them one of Norway's finest Hard Rock Bands they currently have. Rumours Of A Presence is their finest work to date.
First song - Wheels Of The World - carries the same old Spirits Of The Dead magic but adding a more vibrant pace to their sound. Ragnar's vocals have never sounded so good. He has never sounded so possessed and majestic at the same time. Plus he is backed up by his regular band of spaced out trippy sonic brotherhood. This song is the perfect vibe of 70's hard rocking vibes with a brilliant guitar riff blazing out of your stereo right from the start.
2nd song - Song Of Many Reefs - should actually be called - Song Of Many Riffs - as it's blazing with them. Damn this song is a psychedelic space rock/stoner rock masterpiece. Trippy as hell with awesome vocals and lyrics to match. Strap yourself in folks as the band are going to take you into other space based dimensions. This is where the band prove they are one of the finest experimental Stoner Rock bands currently out there. The 6:53 minute running time never drags you feel the song can stop time itself you can listen to the amazing riffs on show.
This album is the perfect mix of 60's/70's Psych Hard Rock matched with today's more trippier Space/Stoner Rock trappings. It's a vibe that stays through out the entire album. You are never bored for one second.
If some people are scared of the folk vibe then take my advice - DON'T BE!!! - It really does add a great vibe to the bands music. If it wasn't there then it would lose some of it's magical edge.
3rd Song - Golden Sun - is a 4:30 minute Psychedelic Pop Song full of more trippy riffs these ace cosmic rockers. It has a dark delicious underbelly of powerful Doom based riffs. Damn. You don't get brilliant pop songs like this anymore. If the pop world had more tracks of this quality and not the manufactured pop shit we have now then the musical world would be a better place.
Spirits Of The Dead do go hell of a lot trippier later on in the album especially on the excellent title track. It's a dreamy psych-stoner-folk vibe that you won't forget in a long time. Maybe this album can be classed as a legal high as it's hypnotic and very powerful to boot.
Look I have gone on long enough about this quite frankly truly wonderful album. If you're already a fan of the bands trippy psych acid stoner rock riffs then you don't need me to convince you to buy this. As this is the bands best work to date. It's already starting to receive a load of praise. And it's praise wholly deserved.
If you're a newbie to the realm of Spirits Of The Dead then this is the perfect place to start. Come on board and get ready to meet your trippier and hard-rocking self.
Rumours Of A Presence. What more can I say. I loved it. It's an album that become better with each and every listen.
Brilliant and Highly Recommended.
Rumours Of A Presence is now available to buy from all good stockists now on The End Records.
Thanks to Chris at Rabble Rouser PR for sending me a copy. Much appreciated dude.
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Check out one of the album's standout tracks - Oceanus. WOW!!!
