Heavy Trip – 1970’s vernacular that could mean a really bad time or a reaaaaallllllly good time depending on the intonation.
This Heavy Trip are a three piece from Canada consisting of two Cole’s – one Jandrisch on guitars, the other Vibert on bass and Tim Horan on drums and they play instrumental groove heavy psychedelic stoner that makes you want to shake your purple loon pants baby.
This self-titled album has four tracks on it – Hand of Shroom , Lunar Throne, Mind Leaf and Treespinner each one seeking to drag you out of this earthly existence and send you spiralling off into kaleidoscopic oblivion leaving only stardust in your wake.
Yeah, it is one of those albums.
So do these groovy kids have the chops or are they just Captain Caveman in a world of Scooby Doos (I always loved Cavey to tell you the truth).
Well, the short answer is yes. All four tracks here are executed exceptionally well. The riffs are massive and fuzz laden like a bikini line during lockdown. Horan’s drums go from being loose limbed and splashy to tight like a tiger and crushing and the flick of a wrist and Vibert has got that classic 70’s bass tone down to a tee holding it all together. The band have described their sound as Hendrix meets Sabbath and then nuked by Godzilla – and I reckon that encapsulates it pretty well. Jandrisch’s solos flange and wail in vivid technicolour whilst the rhythm section keeps things dark and dirty down below.
There is some soul crushing blues here on Mind Leaf, which has a real late sixties vibe on it – thinking Blue Cheer meets Sabbath whilst Cream passes out the electric kool aid. I don’t know whether to headbang along or wig out in a field somewhere. Best check the weather eh?
Treespinner begins all brooding and foreboding before a soaring guitar line sends it soaring spacewards – only for a tractor beam in the sonic shape of the bass and drums to drag it back down to the green of Gaea.
You can see why these guys have been on bills with the likes of Earthless and Acid King. It is a tried and tested nostalgic formula but these guys do it well. If the question is “Can you feel the grooooove”” well with Heavy Trip by Jove I can.
(8/10 Matt Mason)
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