ALBUM REVIEW: Feel Your Fire – Magnet
Mystery surrounds MAGNET. Perhaps that’s why, excuse the pun, it’s an oddly somewhat attractive debut album, entitled Feel Your Fire. Formed in the first half of 2016, MAGNET is a four-piece led by the bassist of Italy’s PSYCHEDELIC WITCHCRAFT Riccardo Giuffrè, who is stepping up to take up the mantle of guitarist and vocalist. This is an album that is unquestionably anachronistic, you’ll be disappointed if you’re looking for this band to deliver a crushing new sound. Instead, if you’re into paisley shirts; fringe leather jackets; and suede, then this record should be comforting, like a nice glass of Cubra Libre.
It is driven sonically by its blues and rock & roll roots – an adaptation of the ferocious sounds pioneered by bands such as BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, and BLUE CHEER almost 50 years ago.
The opening track Buried Alive With Thee shows that this band aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, and crank out a wild number. It’s a song reminiscent of the bridge in Sweet Leaf by BLACK SABBATH, less about smashing skulls, and more about showing off an “all-killer, no filler” vibe. If anything, the groovy keys half-way through the track are oddly refreshing, and could have been the building blocks to a more experimental number. Despite this, the onslaught of the guitar solo signals what we can expect from this fuzz-driven band.
Ouroboros owes itself a large debt to classic rock. It’s a consistent track and one for those who appreciate the sheer sound of a good guitar lick. Though this song rocks hard, the song writing is stereotypical: it is gritty, but lacks confidence to branch out and explore different textures, or even play around with a funk number.
The same can be said for the track Light. It begins with a short, calm guitar solo which may have promised a more melodic track, but instead thrashes into a typical blues-rock number. It is to the credit of the drummer that he can pound away so relentlessly, and while this track does briefly explore some vocal harmonies, it is disappointing to see that this track continues a ride-or-die attitude. It would be fine if this track had a memorable riff to go by, but so far this album sticks to the same lacklustre formula found in many blues/stoner rock bands.
While the rest of the tracks on this album Little Moon, Drive Me Crazy and Satan’s Daughter follow a verse-chorus-verse-solo approach, there are two exceptions to this formula. Firstly, the solo on Feel Your Fire compliments the subdued bass and drums and almost kills off any malaise felt by the band’s attempt to consciously romanticise the 70’s. It is generic, but does the job well.
Secondly, the band’s closing track Magnet Caravan welcomes the listener’s ears to something gorgeous, but also sorrowful. The vocals are vaguely similar to a certain member from TAME IMPALA. Yet, this track is almost out of place with the rest of the album’s brash attitude. Considering how low-key and introspective this song is, if MAGNET dedicated more time to crafting these sort of songs, then their next musical endeavour might have more potential.
Rating: 6/10
Feel Your Fire is set for release on January 27 2017 via Soulseller Records.
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