Tenebra are a Four-piece psychedelic rock band who hail from Bologna and ply their musical trade with a heavy dose of 70’s hard rock and blues, giving their work the umbrella term ‘retro-rock/stoner’. Loaded with sounds similar to those from the West Midlands in the U.K., all the way to the legendary deserts of Palm Springs, California, Tenebra have been likened to bands like Graveyard and Kadavar but the question is, do they stand out enough to be talked about as something notable or just another band who have the sound but no substance to speak of?
Opening track “heavy crusher” begins with a lingering arpeggio sequence which rings out over big, dramatic vocals and beating drums before it slams on with a 70s vibe. The pulsing rhythm with its looping bluesy riff and raw, scratchy vocals has a fantastic hook to it. Slowing down briefly for a big vocal section, bringing back the arpeggio sequence it allows for a swing back into the raw desert blues feel, loaded with fuzz and groove. It’s the bastard love child of Kyuss and Sabbath and it sounds sweet as hell.
“Cracked Path” flows perfectly on with almost no transition, kind of a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment in how sudden the track change is. Stylistically similar, you could easily mistake this for an extension of the opening track. The chords are more prominent here, thundering away with that 70s proto-metal fire and when it slows down for a slick blues inspired solo in the final third of the track, it oozes style and class. The lingering notes scream out over the hazy bass before the darker chords shift in with some real expressive vocal work to wrap up the track. “Black Lace” keeps up the ominous occult rock and proto-metal sounds with its slow and lumbering pace. The deep bass sound, guitar swells and seductive vocals in the verse build a sense of anticipation before it shifts to a heavy blues-inspired sequence which gives way to another lingering lead which once again plays with the ominous atmosphere in ways which sound similar to fellow Italians Psychedelic Witchcraft.
“Carry My Load” comes in again after another smooth transition and again the retro vibes are all over this track. The delay-laden guitar and punchy bass sound with shuffling drums gives way to a bouncy riff with a heavy wah loaded solo before it kicks into the verse. The restrained chord riff isn’t much, but when it flows into the chorus with its more flowing nature and catchy hook the track comes alive, leading to a fuller sound as the sounds are allowed to ring out a little more, all once again under the commanding vocal performances of Silvia Finnino. So far the album has been a mix of stoner rock and 70s rock/proto metal and it is executed extremely well.
“Winds Of Change” has a dirty hard rock and blues feel to it. The lazy slide guitar intro catches the attention right away and those who have read my reviews in the past know how much of a sucker I am for some slide guitar. The verse has a crisp sound, its punchy bass coupled with the steady and simple drums adds in the Led Zepp and Deep Purple edges to the melting pot of musical influences across this release but it’s that bright sounding chord progression in the verses which catches the ear with the accenting on the higher notes in the arpeggio sequence which gives it the flair and hook. There’s a brief Led Zepp inspired section before a final chorus and even though the track is of a similar length to the others, it feels a little shorter once it has gotten going post-intro and hats off to them, Tenebra have a good radio friendly number here which wouldn’t sound out of place on ‘Planet Rock’.
“Stranded” turns things up a notch with the classic Sabbathian sound and influences. It is a real dark and heavy track which merges the pulsing feel of Iron Man with Blue Öyster Cult’s Godzilla. Massive drums with crashing fills, tightly controlled dark guitar lines and a booming bassline which twists through the lingering chords, massive fills and winding riffs. “Space Child” takes a page out of the Led Zepp playbook with its ‘Dazed and Confused’ like approach. Hard hitting bluesy rock mixed with clean and hazy atmospheric sections loaded with raw vocals it is a diamond in the rough, especially when the track makes the transition to the Sabbathian styled ending sequence which heavily leans into the sounds of the seminal ‘Volume 4’ album. These two tracks are probably the strongest ones on the album.
Wrapping the release up are “Dark and Distant Sky” and closing track “Moon Maiden”. The first of these has the hard rock vibe coursing through it with the clipped sound and tight musical delivery which turns to the more spaced-out vibes halfway through. It kind of works but the way the two approaches blend together isn’t as cohesive as it should be. “Moon Maiden” goes full psychedelic, channelling some Pink Floyd vibes briefly before it puts its foot to the floor for a raw and energetic musical attack. Overpowering guitar and bass compete with the vocals for prominence, leading to a rather jarring experience at first but you get used to it rather quickly and the whole thing has a real organic, almost live feel to it. A solid way to end the album albeit one which is slightly unorthodox. The bluesy flair is strong and despite the overloaded sounds, it does work well.
In all, “Moon Maiden” manages to blend the psychedelic rock sound with classic rock to find a workable balance and it is a good listen, but it is a case of ‘heard it all before’, something which many of the psychedelic retro rock acts suffer from.
(6/10 Fraggle)
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