Album Type:
Album
Date Released:
23rd
October 2014
Label:
Universal Music Romania
Yo No Hablo
Ingles – Track Listing
1. As Black As My
Lungs
2. What I've Become
3. Greet The Devil
With A Grin
4. Wrong
5. Cruel
Conscience
6. Old
7. A Ship That
Sinks
8. Eyes of Emerald
9. Dead Calm
10. Slept So Long
11. No Time To Die
12. Weight
13. Sky Roads
14. Empty Skies
15. Moonlight Blues
16. Say Hello And
Wave Goodbye
17. Ghosts
18. Yo No Hablo
Ingles
Bio
RoadkillSoda
is the reflection of the 70s American hawk, of the dusty Dodge,
ragged T-shirts, tattoos, beards, booze, naked chicks and good vibes.
The group started off as a jam session between Mihnea’s guitar and
Para’s drums in the winter of 2010-2011, in a cold, dimly-lit room
filled with smoke and music blasting through the walls.
And
so, the stoner, sludge, psychedelic and rock’n’roll sounds fusion
would become RoadkillSoda, a fresh, intense and unconventional
project. Vava, Mihnea’s brother form the same mother, promptly took
the, often underestimated, role of the bass player, adding a dirty
bass sound that does not go unnoticed. As spontaneous as the entire
project, the debut EP "A Fucked Up Trip Gone Bad" pops up,
basically live recording from the rehearsal room and was released in
2011, via Asiluum label.
In
2012, Sebi joins Mihnea, Para and Vava in their journey. The band
consequently assumes, without compromises, its ideal form and color –
a metamorphosis fuelled by the sound, atmosphere and by the people on
stage and in front of it.
In
less than a year, the band wrote, recorded and produced the first
official album. “Oven Sun” embodies the experiences of a man who
wakes up in the middle of nowhere, bound to wonder and to take in
both the good and the bad. From mirages and oasis to the burning sun
and the endless desert, the album envisages RoadkillSoda’s metaphor
of life. The “happy-end” is depicted through sorrow, despair and
bleak scenarios carried out with a mask displaying a caddish grin, an
attitude that fittingly sums up “Oven Sun” by one line –
“F**k’em with a smile”.
Members
Sebastian Stancu
"The Colonel" - vox;
Mihnea Ferezan
"Panda Elixir" - gtrs;
Victor "Vava"
Ferezan - bass;
Alex Para Ghita
"Raptor America" - drums
Review:
“Yo
No Hablo Ingles” is RoadKillSoda’s sophomore album and it’s
presented in not one but two parts, which is no small feat for a band
that’s barely three years old. The front cover is graced with a
female Dia de los Muertos doll who has seen the wrong side of good
and the bad side of up. She’s holding three cards in her hand and
sitting back with an air of confidence that she’ll win the pot once
the river hits. The front cover is very descriptive of what the next
two hours are going to bring, matching the vibe, attitude, and
swagger of the songs that RoadKillSoda serve up.
Disc
one is a collection of songs that channels a dusty Kyuss vibe laced
with a vocal delivery similar to that of Scott Weiland. The songs
sound slower than they should be, which helps you lose perspective of
time, treating it like a yo-yo. Occasionally you’ll be thrown
forward or pulled back, but for the most part you’re being held in
a sleeper, waiting in anticipation for that push or pull moment. This
slow trudge is driven by a guitar tone that I can only describe as
the shades of purple, turquoise, and yellow that have been used in
the artwork. In itself, disc one is a solid album from front to back
and fits in just fine with the other bands that Europe has to offer
in this genre.
I’d
be slightly disappointed with this double album if disc two were more
the same but luckily that’s not the case. Disc two is the moment
that RoadKillSoda uses to break loose from their stoner strut, adding
more melody and not being ashamed of experimenting with their grunge
influence. There’s still a definite Kyuss feel on songs like “No
Time to Die,” but the band is trying to use this as a stepping
stone towards something else, something that’s slightly cinematic.
A cut like “Sky Roads” is fantastic, as though the band has been
contracted to write the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie. It’s
catchy yet there’s an ominous feeling that something is off. The
next couple of songs continue down this path and then things really
take a strange turn with the final track, “Yo No Hablo Ingles.”
For ten minutes long RoadKillSoda jams out a Mariachi tune and uses
this to tie the album together. It sure is a daring move, and though
unexpected, it is the river that our Dia de los Muertos doll was
looking for.
Sure,
the band wears their influences on their sleeve but the way they mix
them together makes for an interesting listen. This music has
attitude and swagger, like being able to pull off wearing sunglasses
on a cloudy day. They have a little something extra to them and the
fact that they’re able to stay focused for a double album is a sign
that they’re accomplished musicians. In short, RoadKillSoda rocks.
Words
by: Victor van Ommen
Yo
No Hablo Ingles is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from here. CD/DD
formats are available to buy from all good stockists.
For
more information
