Reviews: Black Charger, Goatfather, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Analog Amara (Rich Piva & Cherie Curtis)

Black Charger - Small Town (Clostridium Records) [Rich Piva]

Hey, you like Kyuss? You think QOTSA is too dramatic for their own good these days and wish they were back to being a bit fuzzy? You like to drive around the deserts of Osnabrück, Germany with Fu Manchu blasting on your stereo? If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out the new record from Black Charger, titled Small Town.

Fuzzy low-end goodness is what you get across 42 minutes and ten tracks on Small Town, starting with the catchy with a nice gallop Liquor Store. The bass gets a lot of work on these ten tracks, including the nice opening lick on Gimme A Gun which has a Fu Manchu but darker vibe to it musically. Other bands like Tidal Wave come to mind on songs like Sound Outside and the killer title track, which is a very good thing. Walk With Me may be my favourite that Black Charger brings on their debut, as it gives a bit of psych atmosphere to its driving riff and obvious attention to the melodic side of the band, while still keeping it dark and heavy.

In a sea of killer releases in October, do not overlook the fuzzy goodness of Black Charger’s Small Town. This is no skip stoner rock goodness that you all will enjoy if you are into that kind of stuff. Check it. 8/10

Goatfather - House Of The Rising Smoke (Argonauta Records) [Rich Piva]

Argonauta Records has gone on a major signing spree lately, scooping up all sorts of killer stoner/doom/psych/whatever else bands from all over the world. One of those bands is Goatfather, from Lyon, France, who bring their latest haze-filled take on stoner doom, titled House Of The Rising Smoke, to the masses. Good news: the record is delightfully filled with what you expect from a band called Goatfather who play stoner doom.

What do I mean by that? First, you can never have enough “goat” bands. Second, the first track is called Stoner Dream, and the opening line is “I smoke weed on top of the mountain…”. Accompanying said line is a nasty riff, cool dual guitars, and a stoner rock boogie thing, so yeah, Goatfather. With vocals leaning towards whisky soaked, Eye Of The Electric Mountain also is what you want to hear from this band; more killer riffs and a slow burn that will get you high as a kite. 

Same with Night Of The Blue Smoke which actually reminds me of a band I want to hear more of, Blackjack Mountain. These guys sound like the are from Tennessee, not France, on Son Of A Witch and also give off some Bone Church vibes. I also dig Space Weeds and Heavy Trips, which sounds like it should sound.

Sometimes you don’t want to be surprised and you want a band to sound like you expect. Goatfather does just that on House Of The Rising Smoke. Solid, yet predictable stoner doom for when you want solid, predictable stoner doom. 7/10

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Freie Republik Reitermania (War Anthem Records) [Cherie Curtis]

Before their 30th anniversary tour D.A.R brings us a hefty one, 21 tracks split into 4 sections each one delivering an acoustic version of a D.A.R classic and live performances – which are great, 30 years of expertise and promise wrapped up neatly on a solid 86 minutes.

They are good. Really good. There are some power anthems and softer more emotional tracks with raw and passionate vocals, and the instrumentals are loaded, and complex and each track has it’s own larger than life atmosphere. However, its a commitment, the album is long and there is so much to choose from. This is album for the fans and if you don't know what to expect or what you want from this one you are going to feel a bit lost and for me personally, nothing stands out, it's an album full of the same thing and I couldn't tell when a song had finished and the other had started.

Overall, its well-articulated and the showmanship is top notch. The mixing is great, and composition is strong throughout but for a 30th anniversary special i feel emotionally detached as there is nothing to write home about. 6/10

Analog Amara – Slowly Falling Apart (Self Release) [Cherie Curtis]

5 tracks of melodic rock, a great casual listen. It’s catchy and gets you moving and its very likeable. It has some great soft sounding yet strong vocals complimented by subtle metal vocal layering which makes it simple and dynamic.

It’s softer in pace with some acoustic elements which makes it feel like something that came out in the late 2000s. Very energetic with standout guitar solos which are done sparingly which maximizes the effectiveness, less is more with this one. Slowly Falling Apart is heavy in texture and thickness of the composition not necessarily as a genre, every instrument compliments each other and works to elevate the vocals.

I really enjoyed this one because it’s fun and weirdly nostalgic. It reminds me of the music i grew up listening too when my sister was going through a breakup. It’s well mixed, short and sweet. It gives you exactly want you want, nothing more and nothing less. It’s one to add to my rotation. 8/10.