ALBUM REVIEW: Abyssal Trip – Spelljammer

The thick, intoxicating grooves of stoner rock and doom are probably not what come to mind when you think of metal in Sweden, but the country’s prodigious output in this style is undeniable: MONOLORD, of course, but also TRUCKFIGHTERS, GREENLEAF and DOZER. We think you’d be remiss not to mention SPELLJAMMER in the same breathe, though. Their 2015 full-length debut Ancient Of Days caused quite a stir in the underground, released via cult-curators Riding Easy Records. It would be almost three years before behemoths SLEEP made their contribution to Astronaut-core, and until then, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better sci-fi aligned doom metal outfit than Sweden’s SPELLJAMMER. After a five-year absence, the trio have returned with their second full-length Abyssal Trip.

It’s often said that we know more about the reaches of outer space than we do about the depths of our oceans, and while science-fiction enthusiasts often favour the mysteries of the void over the vast unknown which lies beneath our noses, SPELLJAMMER have chosen to tune low and plumb the depths of the abyssal zone for their second full-length album. Ancient Of Days sounded huge, but Abyssal Trip sounds truly massive: you can practically feel the heat emanating from glowing tubes, and the low purr of speaker cabinets has been captured with remarkable fidelity. The album was mixed and mastered by guitarist Robert Sörling and MONOLORD drummer Esben Willems respectively, and their joint efforts have produced something exceptional.

Musically speaking, though, Abyssal Trip does not represent a sharp break with orthodoxy.  There is tension, momentum and some outright dirge. It’s not all down-tempo, though: there are moments where SPELLJAMMER really let loose and channel Iommi grooves with brazen zeal.  The blues-break in Among The Holy, for instance, is a welcome reprieve from the sub-bass bruising. Vocalist Niklas Olsson delivers his pensive lyrics with an almighty bellow, but his pummelling bass tone speaks for itself. Meanwhile, when guitar effects and overdriven amplifiers aren’t taking centre stage, drummer Jonaton Rimsbo does a laudable job of keeping things interesting from the rhythm section.

Abyssal Trip is a relentless experience, but there is some room to breathe. It’s clear that SPELLJAMMER are more when comfortable when firing on all cylinders, but they’re often at their most interesting in the interlude sections or twilight moments of songs. This album is all about riffs and grooves, but we’d like to have heard them spend more time experimenting and exploring in these liminal spaces. Nonetheless, there is no denying the visceral and primitive appeal of their song-writing: SPELLJAMMER stand toe-to-toe with the preeminent practitioners of the style.

With Abyssal Trip, SPELLJAMMER have succeeded in synthesising the seismic heaviness of SUNN O))) with the monolithic riffs of SLEEP. For forty-five minutes the Swedes submerge their listener in the inky darkness and overwhelming pressure of the subaquatic void, where air is thin and life is strange. SPELLJAMMER are able to marshal their dense and saturated tones with a deft playfulness though, and never threaten to descend into sheer sincerity. Abyssal Trip is as fun as it is foreboding; a daunting proposition for the uninitiated, but for purveyors of outrageous heaviness we can’t recommend this album enough.

Rating: 8/10

Abyssal Trip is out now via Rising Easy Records. 

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