Mushrooms or "shrooms" have long been associated with spirituality, shamanism and the occult. the humble fungi used as a medium to facilitate mystical journeys of enlightenment and spiritual awareness. It is no wonder then that Swedish exponents of hazy lysergic doom Void Commander use this hallucinogenic wonder of nature as the loose theme and concept around which they have written and recorded their debut album "Shrooming Widow".
If you had to visualise doom as a season then it is more than likely that you would opt for the stark, dark coldness of a long hard winter or maybe even fall/autumn when the leaves slowly die and fall to the ground, it is less likely that you would pick summer with it's brightness, heat and feel good factor for your minds eye's musical backdrop for what is essentially a very dark orientated genre. Sweden's Void Commander however do not buy into this concept, the trio from Karlskrona, consisting of Bobby K (guitar/vocals), Linus O (bass) and Jimmy J (drums), fill their acid soaked riffs of heaviness with a hazy lysergic vibe that, although ticking all the relevant boxes of low, slow and heavy riffage and pounding rhythm, possesses a warmth and glow that sits perfectly with long hot days of summer sunshine. Songs with titles like "Acid Queen", "Tongue Whip of the Alien Mothership", "Cough Medicine" and "Need More Wine" brim over with fuzz and wah drenched guitar colouring pushed hard by grizzled bassitude and complex percussive rhythms over which laid back mellow vocal tones and occasional bluesy harmonica are delivered, these elements all combining to create a sound and groove that although has Its feet planted firmly in the dark soil of doom has it's head in the heady clouds of the psychedelic.
"Shrooming Widow" is an album you can throw horns to, headbang to or even your stroke your beard in quiet contemplation to while sitting in the confines of your darkened bedroom, it is also an album you can relax to while lounging in the sun drinking beer, drawing on a big fat one and eating from a BBQ.
Check it out .....
© 2017 Frazer Jones
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