ALBUM REVEW: Moons Of Uranus – Dune Sea

Norwegian space/psych rockers DUNE SEA sputtered to life all the way back in the mists of 2012, originally the brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Ole Nogva. It wasn’t until 2017 drummer Erik Bråten joined for their first studio recording, the All Quiet Under The Suns EP. They followed this with flurry of activity, welcoming bassist Petter Solvik Dahle into the group for their self-titled debut in 2019. Now, in one of the strangest years in modern times, the band are poised to unleash its hotly-anticipated follow-up, Moons Of Uranus, to provide the intergalactic escapism we all so desperately need. 

Falling somewhere between the psychedelic textures of HAWKWIND and the groovy vibes of MONSTER MAGNET, DUNE SEA’s sophomore effort is ten tracks of synth-drenched psychedelia. From the opening swelling synths of First Contact to the closing bluesy riffing of Globe Of Dust, Moons Of Uranus is a non-stop thrill ride of stoner, blues and psychedelic 70s rock that revels in never taking its foot off the gas.

While their debut bridged the worlds of space rock and stoner well, this time around they’ve somewhat dialled back the space elements – though they’re still plentiful. The result is an album harder and dirtier than its predecessor. Shaman channels elements of JUDAS PRIEST through its fuzzed-out lens for something altogether groovier without losing any grit. In a similar vein, Absinthe Blues rattles along with the kind of devil-may-care spirit of a synth-drenched MOTÖRHEAD, while the title track chucks some BLACK SABBATH and SLEEP-esque grooves into the mix. Oracle mixes droning guitars and monotonous vocals to induce an almost trance-like state in its opening before the final minute drops the gargantuan riff.

Vocally Ole Nogva utilises that very stoner doom, 70s style of ambience, sounding otherworldly and transcendent. The rest of the instrumentation leans heavily into this otherworldly vibe, the rumbling bass and fuzzy guitars as well as the keys that can only be described as space-age. New drummer Viktor Olsen Kristensen more than holds his own, his driving rhythms powering the faster songs while also knowing when to pull back so slower segments have much more impact. 

While it’s easy to drop plenty of names for what parts of DUNE SEA sound like, it’s doing them a disservice. Moons Of Uranus is its own animal entirely, a psychedelic space-rock odyssey whose whole is more than just the sum of its influences. The major issue is a lack of variety in song structure; everything is cut from the same 70s garage doom cloth that can start to wear – though the quality does pick up noticeably in the latter songs. The album opens with arguably its weakest song, First Contact; once past that the quality does remain consistent, if never reaching particularly great heights. Despite this, fans of 70s psychedelia, especially on the heavier end (HAWKWIND et al) as well as any fan of stoner rock will love this and its relentless space-rock ride from beginning to end. 

Rating: 6/10

Moons of Uranus is set for release on November 13th via All Good Clean Records.

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