Grunge, or alternative rock, emerged in the mid-eighties and proceeded to blow away everything in its path but like so many of the musical movements before it grunge soon became diluted thanks mainly to record labels signing up every band or solo-artist with a hooped pullover and a drug habit, regardless of their talent. Some of the scenes bigger bands did survive, and still continue to make important music, but many fell by the wayside or altered their sound to accommodate shifting tastes. Grunge/alt.rock's core sound never fully went away though and it can still be found raising its unkempt head in todays underground rock most notably in the present days stoner, doom and psych scenes with bands like Desert Suns, Sea of Snakes, Erronaut and Bird of Vale all incorporating elements of that "Seattle sound" into their music Another to add to that list are Belgium's Mind Wolf, Jan (guitar/vocals), Sam (drums) and Arne (bass), a Ghent based trio who take their influences as much from Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots as they do bands like Kyuss, Hermano and Greenleaf and who have just released their second EP "Chalet".
Opening number "Love Without a Home" begins its life jamming an Alice In Chains like slurred guitar refrain, using that refrain as a marker to return to between bouts of blues tinted hard rock that is driven by solid on point drumming and anchored by growling fuzz drenched bass. Vocals here are not especially powerful but are delivered with a breathy gusto that is both distinctive and effective as is the guitar work which is served up deeply fuzzed and crunchy. Next song "Like a Song" is a swaggering mix of punkish aggression and blustering stoner/hard rock over which a ridiculously catchy dual vocal melody holds sway, one can imagine this becoming a firm fan favourite in a live environment. "Hanne Desmet" is up next and here we find Mind Wolf blending their grunge and stoner with elements of heavy psych beneath another excellent ear-worm of a vocal melody while "Just Don't" is a wonderfully jagged and sleazy sounding tome with a vocal that is a mix of gritty melody, tuneful narration and snotty asides and utilises a delightfully manic and off-kilter guitar solo as its exit strategy. Last song "Seduction" jettisons the grunge element of the bands sound and opts for a more heavy rock attack, busy tight drumming, low growling bass and heavily distorted guitar supporting vocals that swing between hushed huskiness and angsty grittiness, the song then taken to its close on a wave of soaring, if somewhat dirty, lead guitar work.
The songs inhabiting Mind Wolf's "Chalet" are short sharp jabs that hit hard and are then gone, there is no overplaying to be found on this little dark gem of a release, no endless noodling just for the sake of it, what we get instead is a band delivering maximum impact in minimum time frames.
Check 'em out ...
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