ALBUM REVIEW: Heavy Trip – Heavy Trip
Trickling down from the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada comes the debut album from the psychedelic 3-piece HEAVY TRIP. Their self-titled record was released on streaming services one year ago and is now being released as a physical CD, via Burning World Records. Describing their own sound as a “mix of Hendrix and BLACK SABBATH nuked by ‘Godzilla’”, the band’s first full length project clocks in at just over 36 minutes with only four tracks. Each one of the four is a psychedelic rollercoaster with ups, downs and sweet sweet grooves. At the same time, just like the real life mechanical rides that these songs are comparable to, it is hard to constantly ramp up the stakes and this is the album’s biggest issue.
In the past, the band has referenced the great FRANK ZAPPA when talking about their approach to music. This is reflected in the record where it’s biggest strengths lie in it’s creativity, craft and general atmosphere. The opening track, Hand of Shroom, is the perfect opener if this is your first taste of HEAVY TRIP as it showcases the very best of the band. Setting you up with those instantly recognisable BLACK SABBATH grooves and tone, the track gives way to a gallop around the halfway mark that wouldn’t sound out of place inside the mind of Steve Harris. With the combination of the huge stoner riffs mixed in with some incredibly intricate guitar solos that weave around those grooves, this seven and a half minute track flies right by you.
Becoming fully engrossed in this psychedelic/stoner experience is where you get the most enjoyment out of it. When you find yourself lost in it, you start to pick up on the intricacies of the whole ride like the incredible drum work and fills on Mind Leaf. This track in particular switches things up a little more when compared to the other three, adding some wah pedal into the weaving solos and letting the drums drive the track forward in the second half, this track manages to keep its momentum swinging. Though this formula is one that draws you in and keeps you there with its grooves, it does become slightly predictable at points which makes the ride feel a little less kinetic. All four tracks have a similar structure in the way they open with some big stoner grooves before adding in the more psychedelic elements and a change of pace around the halfway mark, usually culminating in a build that brings some of the groove back in.
The fourth and final track, titled Treespinner, suffers from this repetition in particular. It’s grooves and tempo shifts are too predictable by this point in the albums runtime and though it is still somewhat enticing, that creativity and world of sound that the other tracks created is just not as effective here as you’ve heard it done better on the three previous tracks. That being said, the rest of the record does show plenty of promise for the band going forward. The majority of this album’s runtime shows a true understanding of how to make an engaging instrumental experience that really captures the balance of stoner grooves laced with intricate and creative psychedelic sections. For the first few times you ride the HEAVY TRIP rollercoaster, you won’t want to get off. The issues come into play further down the line when that same adrenaline rush doesn’t have quite the same impact. The first few times you jump on board, you will be transported to a very exciting plane of existence though the effects do wear off over time.
Rating: 7/10
Heavy Trip is set for release April 2nd via Burning World Records.
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