ALBUM REVIEW: Nocturnal Creatures – Bomber
When was the best decade for rock music? There are a multitude of answers depending on who you ask. Variable upon variable stack up to change a person’s opinion. If you ask Swedish band BOMBER, they will tell you the golden age was that of the 70s. With the recent release of their debut album, Nocturnal Creatures, they hope to resurrect the bygone era.
The title track sets the tone not with a typical song but with a monologue which runs for just under a minute. To the tune of guitars playing on a tape warped over time, we are treated to a voice close in tone to the great Vincent Price – a voice synonymous with storytelling of the finest calibre anyone would agree. Here, that is put to great use, laying the ground work for a record of homage.
Cautionary tale to “beware the road you roam” concluded, BOMBER get stuck into the heart of the matter. Named after the Persian prophet, Zarathustra spins a golden yarn of a “god that used to reign above”. Anton Sköld effortlessly fulfils the role of both narrator and riff maker, weaving his tale around the undulation of the guitar. Rasmus Grahn’s heart pumping drums set us on a rollercoaster of breath-taking proportions. There are many things BOMBER choose to bring back from forgotten times. One of the most pleasing is full band harmonies. The entirety of the quartet pulls double duty with their respective instrument as well as vocalisations which run close to euphoric in places.
Euphoria of an altogether different nature makes an almost predictable appearance on Nocturnal Creatures. Sex and all which surrounds it comes to us with Fever Eyes and Black Pants Magic. With a touch of T-REX influence, the lower tone of muted guitar creates the hazy soundscape of heady desire. Intoxicated by the stranger across the room, the vocal harmonies resemble the voice of head, heart, and nether region. With Fever Eyes’ infectious chorus and delightful solo, we’re swept away with this tale of lust at first sight. It leaves us wide open for the more carnal Black Pants Magic. “Don’t get up baby I’ll go down” speaks for itself but at the same time shows some falter within Sköld’s vocal performance. Upon further listens, we find the song intended to make engines roar instead leaves them simply idling.
Is there anything more fitting of rock music than an epic? BOMBER believe not, showcasing not one, nor two, but three. The best of these comes in early highlight A Walk Of Titans (Hearts Will Break). In a build up which features isolated vocals fading into guitars and a buzz of synthesisers, we’re reminded of QUEEN’s iconic One Vision. The world building within this titan ruled land is exquisite. Sköld’s vocals trade harmonies with his backline before teaming with fellow guitarist Max Huddén for duelling guitar solos worthy of a song such as this. However, The Tiger and album closer Aurora don’t ignite our imagination in quite the same way. Glimmers of The Tiger’s stalking guitar melody shows amazing promise, but this predator ultimately falls prey to BOMBER’s predictability. Meanwhile they take the opportunity to experiment with Aurora’s six-minute runtime, though an instrumental section longer than necessary and oddly put together is a gut-wrenching shame.
BOMBER set out to deliver us the best music of a time long behind us. At times, they achieve that with wonderful vigour. What they also do is remind us of some of the weaker moments of the trailblazers before them. This results in an album which ebbs and flows in quality when listened to as a primary activity. Does that mean it’s bad? Not in the slightest. Nocturnal Creatures is a good listen from start to finish. In a time where music has been exceptional, good sadly doesn’t light our fire.
Rating: 7/10
Nocturnal Creatures is out now via Napalm Records.
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