By: Richard Maw
Album Type: EP
Date Released: 17/11/2015
Label: Independent
It goes without saying that if you are a fan of such bands as Monster Magnet, Clutch, Profane and Sacred et al then you should really check this out. At the end of the day, it is four tracks of quality music that is as solid and dependable as the band's namesake.
“Oak” DD track listing:
1). All Above
2). Queen of this Land
3). Ride With Me
4). Dissolve
The Review:
Four tracks of British stoner rock as a pay what you want download?! What is not to like... Well, nothing. As it turns out, this is fantastic stuff. Opener “All Above” goes for a kind of COC meets Orange Goblin vibe and sound, with “wet” sounding drums and rumbling tones all around. The vocals are strong and clean but with the necessary grit to make this kind of stuff fly.
“Queen of This Land” ups the aggro quotient nicely, with the vocals considerably less laid back than you might expect. The groove is thick, but not too fast, giving the vocals a chance up front to be heard. The riff changes keep things interesting too, with good use of different sounds employed around the kit (ride bell most welcome).
“Ride With Me” is evocative of Fu Manchu in both title and opening, but displays dynamics which would not really be used by those kings of the road and instead takes on almost a Doors-y kind of vibe. It also reminded me of US
The EP ends with “Dissolve”; it has an up beat tinge to the riffs and makes use of dynamics between sections. The sound of the EP overall is more rock than metal, I would say, and well produced with a soft element to the production that is sympathetic to the sounds and textures contained herein. It goes without saying that if you are a fan of any of the bands mentioned above, and such bands as Monster Magnet, Clutch, Profane and Sacred et al then you should really check this out. At the end of the day, it is four tracks of quality music that is as solid and dependable as the band's namesake.
