With Desert Rock, one would be forgiven if your mind jumped straight to the 90’s and the iconic sounds spawned from the Palm Desert area. Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Yawning Man are all bands who spring to mind and the bands which have spawned from them all have that distinct vibe, but more recently, Sweden seems to be home to a burgeoning Desert and Stoner rock crowd with the iconic Truckfighters spearheading it. Enter Gaupa, a five piece who follow in the fuzzsteps of the above-mentioned bands. Playing a predominantly Desert/Stoner rock approach with progressive and psychedelic elements to their sound, they are set to unleash their second album “Myriad” on us so let’s jump on in.
From the start, opening track “Exoskeleton” is a solid track. A slick bluesy undercurrent which is caked in fuzz drives forwards. Slipping between teasing and subdued verses to full on rocking choruses, it is a track loaded with energy. The vocals are very reminiscent of renowned Icelandic singer Björk and they sit well with the music. A haunting edge in the verses and a wilder one in the choruses helps show off some of the dynamic delivery and the bass sound is fantastic, pounding away and helping to boost the fuzz above it. “Diametrical Enchantress” has more of an angular feel to its delivery, almost like that you would find on a QOTSA record. The swift drum rolls and hammering bass provide the foil for the guitar to just do its thing, whether it’s mirroring the bassline to wildly screaming in the leads which at times rival the more full bodied vocal sections.
“Moloken” has a real moody blues feel to it. The slower paced verses have that bass and minimal drum backbone, allowing for the vocals to fill the majority of the space and the guitars to flutter in and out with the gentle chords and obligatory licks. The choruses are more full bodied – dramatic vocals, frantic guitars and booming bass which crank the volume straight up and the drums get a lot more lively. It’s a great track in how it all comes together and you can imagine that this one would be a treat live, especially as like any good blues song, there is potential to drag it out and make it even more dynamic. “Ra” has a hypnotic vibe to its pulsing delivery. Channelling that Kyuss vibe, it’s a touch longer than previous tracks and it manages to mix things up with its gradually building approach. Vocals which jump from gentle to sharp, a thick bassline and guitars which go from a muted buzz to a mighty wail, it’s more like a song you’d expect from the deserts than the arctic.
“Elden” brings out more of the psychedelic edge to the band’s sound. The rich atmospheric nature crafted by the chiming guitars and thundering bass compliments the ethereal vocals, giving it that spaced out feel whilst retaining plenty of tension as you wait for that wall of fuzz to smash into you. As the song takes a darker turn, the vocals get more raw and the heaviness is compounded and the tasty phaser and flanger effects in the last part of the track just add that extra spice to the track. “My Sister Is A Very Angry Man” brings back the dirty blues element to the desert rock sound. Punchy and loaded with groove, the lively track hits hard with the stomp feel rhythm and you can really feel the bass hitting you with a sucker punch. Musically you can hear bits of Orange Goblin in there too which is never a bad thing. “Sömnen” which is Swedish for ‘sleep’ is a more stripped back track. Haunting vocals compliment a crisp acoustic guitar and the expressive delivery of the Swedish lyrics helps to convey a hypnotic and suggestive feel, giving it an almost occult like conjuring spell flair.
The closing track “Mammon” is the longest track on the album. Clocking in at roughly 7 and a half minutes, it serves as a good synopsis of the album. The hypnotic intro is rife with psychedelic vibes as it steadily builds with its pulsing bassline and haunting guitar fills, making way for the ethereal vocals to come in once again. With plenty of breathy moments, it’s adds to the expressive flair in the singer’s voice and when it snaps to life, the music gets sharper, the vocals get harder and the fuzz gets louder. Massive and loaded with a groove, the big bodies chorus drives the track on with more intricate drum patterns and subtle fade in and out bass and guitar spots before repeating the loop again. Towards the end of the track it shifts to a pounding feel before speeding up slightly once again, using the accented chord changes to add that extra little kick before we get some big time wailing guitar lead capping the track, ending it in style.
“Myriad” is a good album from start to finish. It takes its influences and manages to put an energetic and personal touch to them, giving both, a solid account for itself in terms of the musical styling and staking its own identity. Keep an eye out, Gaupa are ones to watch in years to come.
(7.5/10 Fraggle)
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