Was a time when you just could not check out a stoner,
doom or heavy psych fans Bandcamp
collection or Spotify playlist
without there being at least six or seven Swedish
bands/artistes featured, things have slowed down a bit since those days but
seeing the word "Sweden"
associated with a release in those genres still carries a lot of weight when
checking out new albums and EP's. To be honest seeing an album entitled "Mary The Elephant" by a band of the same name
while perusing a list of new releases did not really fill us here at Desert Psychlist with
the same sense of excitement we might have had if the band had sported a more doomic
or stoner like name, however hidden away in the corner of the bands Bandcamp page we saw the word "Sweden" so we thought let’s give it a
shot. What we found when hitting play was an EP that not only upheld Sweden's reputation for churning out great
bands but was also an EP that was so much more than just a collection of
raucous rhythms and ripping riffs.
Things kick off in proto-doomic style with opener
"My King" the songs main riff
sporting an Iommi-esque quality,
however any thoughts that you may have stumbled on another one of those bands
worshipping at the altar of Black Sabbath are soon shattered when vocalist Hami Malek enters
front and centre with a world wearied vocal that is as bluesy as it is soulful.
For next song "The Haze"
guitarist Isaac Ingelsbo, bassist Johan Fogelberg and drummer Doe step away from the Sabbathian flavoured sound of the opening song
and instead combine on a groove that is fuzzy hybrid of classic and southern
rock, a groove that is the perfect fit for Malek's
gritty lived in vocal. So far Mary the Elephant have given us proto doomic bluster and classic/southern
rock swagger but for third track "A Dying
Sun" the band opt for hazy moodiness and languid ambient
atmospherics, the song a beautiful laid back instrumental piece with an almost
caressing quality. Its back to the rock for penultimate song "In the Dark" a mixture of stoner and classic
rock decorated with another great vocal performance and shot through with
an endearing bluesiness. Things come to a close with "The Crows Will Fall" the band returning to
their Sabbathesque ways but this time
taking their inspiration from Sabbath's
psychedelic curveball "Planet
Caravan", Inglebo's phase
heavy guitar tones, Fogelberg's low fuzzy bass lines and Doe's laid-back rhythms creating a hazy
framework for Malek to hang a
suitably slurred vocal over, a truly tune in turn on and drop out moment.
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