REVIEW: Nomad Stones - "Nomad Stones"

By: Charlie Butler

 

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 05/08/2016
Label: Brutal Panda Records

 

 

Nomad Stones deal in short, sharp blasts of scuzzy, grunge-soaked punk rock with hooks guaranteed to be buried in your skull for weeks to come.  It’s hard to resist the invigorating, infectious energy of these eight tracks. This brief burst of spiky noise leaves you hungry for more

 

 

‘Nomad Stones” DD//LP track listing:

 

1. Dead Batteries
2. Dirty Boots And A Friend Named Goo
3. Drain Brain
4. The Frugal Yankee
5. Glory Days
6. Heartbeat
7. In Too Deep
8. The Sandwich Police

 

The Review:

 

Nomad Stones deal in short, sharp blasts of scuzzy, grunge-soaked punk rock with hooks guaranteed to be buried in your skull for weeks to come. The Boston trio feature Cave In’s Adam McGrath and JR Connors within their ranks, but this debut EP is far removed from the epic bombast of their heaviest moments. Fans of Cave In’s simpler moments will not be disappointed though and everyone will be pleased that their penchant for searing, effects-laden solos remains intact.

 

“Dead Batteries” and “The Frugal Yankee” deliver a perfect balance of gritty post-hardcore and melodic urgency that bring to mind the ragged, adrenaline rush of Cloud Nothings. “Dirty Boots and A Friend Named Goo” starts in unexpected bubblegum-fashion for a paean to Sonic Youth, but a wave of guitar squall that would make the New York noiseniks proud, rises from the depths and envelopes the landscape in fuzz.

 

Elsewhere, Nomad Stones deliver super-catchy pop songs caked in a healthy layer of dirt. The anthemic crawl of “Drain Brain” and their cover of Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat” sound like a union of the Misfits and Weezer. This sounds like an unlikely recipe for success but somehow the band makes it work and it sits comfortably alongside the more angular sounds elsewhere. 

 

It’s hard to resist the invigorating, infectious energy of these eight tracks. This brief burst of spiky noise leaves you hungry for more. Hopefully they will be back soon.

‘Nomad Stones” is available here

 

Band info: | facebook || bandcamp

Blondstone - Mass Solace - Album Review

Album Type:Album

Date Released: April 8th 2014

Label: Self Released

Mass Solace track listing:

01. Mass Solace

02. Bursting Shell

03. Shoot Shoot Shoot

04. Oulala

05. On Your Own

06. Rare & Strong

07. Lazy

08. All My Flaws

09. Daze Me

10. Shoulder To Cry On

11. Hard To Remove

Bio:

Blondstone, the philosopher's stone of "rock"...

Blondstone, a trio from Nancy, take us back to where rock left off in 90's. The band capture and surprise with their infectious, groovy mix of stoner rock and fiery grunge overtones. They draw you into slow and oppressive atmospheres where muted rage slowly builds up to powerful explosions. Blondstone’s force makes you feel, with a sense of urgency, that rock isn’t just music, it’s also a state of mind.

Their sparkle may well catch on...

The Band Members

Alex Astier (guitar/vocal)

Nicolas Boujot (bass)

Pierre Barrier (Drums)

Review:

Blondstone finally unleash their eagerly awaited debut album – Mass Solace. This French Grunge/Fuzz/Stoner Rock collective pack a lot of groove on their debut offering and it is a refreshing style of noises and atmospherics that will entertain the heck out of you from start to finish.

Mass Solace is heavy fuzz arena of Grunge and Stoner Rock combining for one delicious wall of noise. First track – Mass Solace – is the perfect introduction to the band at it shows what these guys are all about. Stoner Rock, Desert Rock and Grunge all playing an equal part all held together by the power of the fuzz. Lead vocalist Alex is on fire showing that he is serious from the start.

Blondstone feel like a band from the legendary Desert Rock scene in California and not from France. As Blondstone bring back early memories of riffs that used to rule supreme in the 90s. If you want high voltage Stoner Rock with the added groove of Grunge, Desert Rock and Fuzz then Blondstone are the album for you. Mass Solace is the perfect Stoner Rock album for the summer as it has 10 delicious tracks for you to devour in the hot warm sun.

Tracks such as – Shoot Shoot Shoot, Oulala, On Your Own and Lazy – show the band know how to write great riffs with dangerous lyrics to match and it makes for one wild ride. The song-writing and instrumental work is first rate through out. However, Blondstone do add elements of darkness into their music and it is on these more darker parts where the band show what a dangerous unit they can actually be. Possibly the grunge vibe kicking in but it is still a great choice to do something different in the realm of Stoner Rock.

I have been listening to this album non-stop for the last couple of weeks or so and believe me when I say that Blondstone are the real deal. They know how to write a great Stoner Rock track to rock out to either by yourself or with a group of friends. It is another great example why the French Stoner Metal scene is thriving and it is thanks to bands such as Blondstone doing something different with their music.

This album has it all – Great tracks, Tons of epic riffs for you to lose yourself in and it signals the arrival of a band with a very bright future indeed. You would not think from the slightly demonic album cover that this is a Stoner Rock album. But appearances can be deceiving as it highlights once again that there is something different about Blondstone. Their music has a slight dark undertone beneath the fuzz/desert rock drenched riffs.

Mass Solace is a spellbinding debut album and one that will find a huge audience within the Stoner Rock scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Nico for sending me a copy to review. Mass Solace is out to buy from April 8^th 2014.

Check the Band from Links Below

Official

Facebook

BandCamp

Written by Steve Howe