Blowback
800 miles
Transubstans Records
Given the explosion in retro-saturated stoner bands in recent years it's a no-brainer that in order to clamber out of the weedy deluge of bleary-eyed blasters there needs to be something very special added to the mix. There are so many who fail, doomed to be forgotten in the haze of a handful of joints in a genre where the riff comes second only to the smoke. For those who have the foresight and creativity to think outside the bong, such mediocrity doesn't come into the equation. Swedish quartet Blowback fall just on the right side of the border, having applied enough originality and style to ensure a place in the upper echelons of the retro doom/stoner genre. Opener "The only thing I have" is a pretty standard stoner rock tune and is enjoyable enough in the grand scheme of the genre. It's from here on in though that many bands fall short of the mark, with the remainder of their tunes emulating the formula of the first song and refusing -- or being unable -- to do anything different. Thankfully, as soon as second track "The big black hole" kicks off with its clean, laid back, hippyish vibe, it becomes clear that this Örebro crew have the talent and vision to pull a memorable album together. "No soul" continues the variation, a slower, more brooding piece that picks up towards the end and really showcases the band's ability to be creative while remaining true to the essence of their genre. "800 miles" is varied from start to finish with a multitude of distortion levels, tempo changes, song structures and emotions flowing throughout. And while Blowback may reside in a genre that's bursting at the seams, they prove here that, if they continue on the musical path they've chosen, they'll find themselves passing joints with the elite.
- John Norby
