ALBUM REVIEW: We Lay On Cold Stone – Josiah
It has been a long, eventful 12 years since the Leicester-based genre-pushing psychedelic stoner rockers JOSIAH graced our ears with their signature heavy blues sound. The band had an emphatic four album run from 2002-2009 which saw them pushing the limits of their sound, bringing a gritty rock attitude and bluesy heaviness that was ahead of the time. After exploring the worlds of psychedelia and garage rock with THE KINGS OF FROG ISLAND and CHERRY COKE respectively, now Mathew Bethancourt (guitar/vocals) has got the band back together. We Lay On Cold Stone sees a new, darker and grittier side to JOSIAH; the 12 years away have done nothing to dampen the band’s signature sound and song craft. Still as sharp as ever, We Lay On Cold Stone channels much of the chaos that we’ve all felt over the last few years.
One thing that is immediately clear from the outset of We Lay On Cold Stone is the influence of Bethancourt’s various experimentations in the realms of garage rock and psychedelia, as a result moving away from the fast-paced and frantic heavy blues and stoner sound of their early days. Whilst there is some of that aggressive riffing of yesteryear throughout the album, there is a more significant and darker edge to this album, opting for intricate atmospherics and ambience over all out stoner rock riffing. We Lay On Cold Stone carries a distinct late 1970s vibe, somewhere along the lines of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Sabotage era BLACK SABBATH alongside a CLUTCH-esque approach to riff writing. This fusion of focused, groove laden blues riffing within a dark psychedelic atmosphere is an exciting development in JOSIAH‘s sound. These elements were hinted at on 2009’s Procession, so it feels like the ideas that have come to fruition throughout We Lay On Cold Stone have been finely distilled over the last 12 or so years like a barrel-aged whiskey.
Simultaneously reclaiming their legacy whilst forging a new future themselves, JOSIAH shouldn’t have a problem getting straight back into the hearts and minds of all heavy psych fans. We Lay On Cold Stone is filled with epic riff romps, tripped out melodies and irresistibly catchy hooks alongside subtle infusions of vintage brilliance inspired by the likes of CREAM and GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. With finely-tuned song craft and expert musicianship, the band bring a little piece of that 1970s heyday back for a modern audience, the album is a showcase of the band’s in depth knowledge of the genre, and a reminder to fans old and new why they are held in such reverence within the scene. Yet in many ways it feels like it is feeding off a nostalgic past that can no longer be obtained. In some cases it works well, but here it makes the album feel somewhat dated, and keeps the band in that period between 2002 and 2009.
We Lay On Cold Stone is a rich, multi-layered experience. Opening up with Rats (To The Bitter End), the eerie sound effects lead into thundering drums as the band resurrect themselves and announce their presence. An aspect that is apparent throughout the album is the strange dystopian vibe; the atmospheres created by the vintage style riffs have an unearthly quality to them which allows you to succumb to the album’s surprises as you are left on edge. Let The Lambs See The Knife taps into the distorted and rough edges of garage rock and blends them with CREAM-like psychedelia. The thundering drums and thumping bass really drive the song home as the guitar is able to fully express itself with oddly spine-tingling melodies. Ten-minute epic (Realise) We Are Not Real is a fully-fledged adventure into psychedelia, adding a variety of grooves and atmospheres that help distort the reality around you. With entrancing vocal harmonies and ever changing dynamics this song is the hidden gem of the album. Closing track The Bitter End takes some of the ideas from the aforementioned track and morphs them into a Sabbath Bloody Sabbath-style song, which to many fans is confirmation that JOSIAH is back.
In a time where heavy psych and stoner are having a renaissance with new elements being added continuously, JOSIAH have timed their comeback well. Whilst We Lay On Cold Stone is a mixture of all things new and old within the genre and once again pushes the band’s creative abilities, it just seems too heavily weighted in nostalgia at this current time making it a good album but not much else.
Rating: 7/10
We Lay On Cold Stone is set for release on July 15th via Blues Funeral Recordings.
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