Germany's Typhuzz, Max Mörmann (vocals/guitar); Sebastian Örtle (drums) and Alexander Pontzhail (bass), hail from Karlsruhe and, like so many other bands in this scene, worship at the altar of Black Sabbath the result of which sees them jamming grooves not too dissimilar in flavour and style to that of their heroes. Now there are many out there who will decry the emergence of yet another heavily Sabbath influenced band, Desert Psychlist however is not among that "many". Ok nobody wants to hear a band slavishly recreate an iconic bands sound to the point that it borders on plagiarism but having said that there is also nothing wrong with hearing a band who take that sound and then stamp their own personalities and identities all over it, something we think Typhuzz have done on their self -titled debut album "Typhuzz".(Hand Of Doom Records)
Loud/quiet/loud dynamics play a big part in Typhuzz's overall sonic attack and it is these dynamics that are the driving force behind opening track "Golden Glow" a song that alternates between galloping heavy metal and languid lysergic proto doom beneath clean slightly sneered vocal tones that utilize all the usual lyrical cliches we have come to expect (and love) from music of this nature. "Winter Sun" follows and sees Typhuzz fully embracing their Sabbathian roots with chugging palm-muted riffage and punchy thundering bass and drums supporting a vocal that is Ozzy-ish in its melody but not so much in its tone. We mentioned, in our opening piece, about Typhuzz stamping their own personalities on an iconic sound and for "Alarm" they do just that, the band jamming a proto-doomic groove ramped up to warp speed and then decorated in a punkish angsty vocal. For "Drug Transformation" Typhuzz opt for a more stoner-doom sound, grumbling low bass and solid tight drumming the platform for an ear-worming vocal melody enhanced by bluesy Iommi-esque guitar pyrotechnics. Heavy rock and doom hold hands and skip the light fandango on the excellent "Lizard Queen" while for "Fracturo Fibulas" the band offer us two minutes plus of birdsong and acoustic guitar. Its back to the riff'n'roll for next track "Globesmoker" a delicious mix of low slow heaviness and swaggering doomic bluesiness that is then followed by "Cosmic Crypt" a shape shifting opus that lyrically and musically sits somewhere between Sabbath's "Into The Void" and Deep Purple MK III's "Burn". Penultimate track "Running Down" sees Typhuzz going all in on the heavy rock before going out with all guns blazing with the head spinning finale "Tonight" a song that incorporates every element of doom and heavy rock visited previously on this album and weaves them together into one brain frying curtain closer, epic stuff!
Typhuzz's debut is a highly impressive blending of blistering heavy rock and deliciously dank doom, it is an album that is the sum of its influences rather than a carbon copy of those influences, yes you can hear elements of Sabbath, Pentegram and others greats in what Typhuzz bring to the table but you can also hear that they are a band with their own thing going on too.
Check 'em out .....
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