Having released two singles back in 2012 (Inside your head and Momma’s son), Greek grunge rockers SolarMonkeys are finally releasing their first full length album – Payblack. The Greeks have a unique sound which draws heavily from the Seattle grunge styles but has a more modern rock undercurrent to it with some grooves and melodic elements. With that being said, let’s see what they have to offer.
“Don’t Bother” opens the album with the impressive vocal talents of front man Johnny Citizen which is followed by a huge thick sounding wall of noise which is thick with groove. Carrying that Soundgarden vibe but with vocals delivered in a more Audrey Horne style, the opening track gets the attention right away. Bass heavy grooves in the verse followed by more guitar driven grooves in the chorus helps mix it up over the drumming which is simple enough for the most part but the little fills kick in where needed. It’s catchy and it’s got a great groove and the riffing in the outro is great! “Glass Giant” has a murky sounding riff and some big drums with dramatic synths backing it up, creating a tension building effect. This tension carries over into the verse where the bass drives the groove again before the murky guitar riffs come in over the darker sounding vocals. It’s got a very Alice In Chains meets Mustasch feel to it – plenty of dark sounding parts with some kick and attitude behind them. In the chorus it really kicks up a gear and the bass break with piano over it really keeps the pace going and the metal friendly outro caps it nicely.
“Momma’s Son” has that stoner rock feel to it which blends in nicely to the ‘Badmotorfinger’ era Soundgarden vibe. Its punchy sounding riffs will have you nodding along in approval and the vocals which sound like the bastard lovechild of Scott Weiland and Chris Cornell add that rawness to the track whilst still having some melody to them. It’s a great single and you can see why it was included on the album. The big riff round the 2:25 mark is a great moment and the bluesy solo which follows it up, followed by the fuzzed out bass break is fantastic! “Inside Your Head” has a very Faith No More feel. Vocally it’s not quite Mike Patton (but nothing is really is it?) but the delivery is reminiscent of his style, moody sounding low verses, big singing choruses. It’s like ‘Ashes to Ashes’ by FNM if it were a grunge song. This again is another solid song and a good reflection of what SolarMonkey’s are all about.
“Zoey” opens with a bass solo which goes into a slow paced rock styled number. The clean and acoustic guitars blend seamlessly over the simplistic bassline and the simple drums just add to the laid-back vibe the track gives up. Vocally its similar to a blues styled Layne Staley delivery and it just all comes together in the right way. It’s easy to nod along or tap your foot too, and you can sing along with the chorus or smile at the tasty sounding blues styled guitar solo. All round, fantastic track. “Above” lays that laid back feeling to rest as it kicks in a small drum intro with some serious classic rock vibe to it. The bouncy sounding riff backed by gratuitous Hammond Organ gives way to a murky sounding groove laden riff and the whole thing wouldn’t seem out of place on a Velvet Revolver track (Think Slither!). It’s got that underlying grunge feel to it, but the melodic side of it makes it more accessible and friendlier to a wider audience. Round the 3 minute mark, it breaks and starts building up for a synth heavy lead section before going back to the guitar and bass driven sound to close the track.
“No Care For Lord” keeps the dark sounding riffs and brings back that Faith No More meets grunge feel from earlier on in the album. With the moody sounds, dynamic vocals and thick sounding riffs, the song rises and falls in intensity. Primarily bass focused in the verses, the groove is hypnotic and the build up feel in the choruses just catches you. The riff section round the 2:20 point will have you nodding and stomping along as it continues to tease at a big break out moment which doesn’t quite come but the sense of anticipation hooks you till the end and whilst disappointing in the sense it didn’t break out, it does prepare you for the last track of the album. “Let Them Rest” closes the album and it opens with a more upbeat feeling to it. Taking the melodic heavy rock meets grunge approach again, its mid-paced groove and well timed rhythm manages to feel both laid back and energetic at the same time in the sense that you can sit back easily and listen to this, but you will be caught up in it. The break in the middle of the song adds some beef to it before it goes into a simple sounding lead section which isn’t too flashy but its effective. The chorus comes back one last time before the outro picks up the pace for the last minute or so, adding a little urgency to the track before it finishes and closes the album off.
I don’t quite know how to describe SolarMonkeys. The presser said they were grunge with elements of melodic rock and groove to them and listening to “Payblack”, you can see why… But there is so much more to the band. Taking the good parts from the Seattle sound, they’ve added some serious groove, some elements of stoner rock and alternative rock to create a very unique take on a well known sound. “Payblack” is a great album, and I can’t wait to hear more from these guys. This isn’t just for grunge fans, this is for anyone who appreciates a well rounded record.
(8/10 Fraggle)
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